My Favorite Forms of Cardio (Ranked)
I hate doing cardio, but it's important! If you feel the same way, I feel for you. I'm lucky, because I get most of my cardio from something I love: surfing. My hope is that everyone finds a form of cardio they actually enjoy, so it feels less like a chore.
Health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate cardio or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio per week for heart health. If your goal is to lose body fat, the more cardio you do, the easier it gets. A high VO2 max is also one of the strongest predictors of longevity, and cardio is the most effective way to raise it.
Here's my list of cardio options, ranked in order of personal preference.
1. Elliptical
Zero impact on your joints.
Uses your arms and legs, which makes it easier to get your heart rate up.
Easy to track progress: you're either increasing the resistance or the time.
Easy to recover from, so you can do it more often.
You can push hard without raising your risk of injury.
2. Bike
Indoors or outdoors: riding outside gives you a change of scenery. I like the stationary bike because I can watch a movie or listen to a podcast while I ride.
Easy on the joints.
Easy to track progress: again, you're either increasing the resistance or the time.
Bonus: it can help build muscle in your quads and glutes.
You can push hard without raising your risk of injury.
3. Walking uphill on a treadmill
Easy on the joints, and it still gets your heart rate up.
Sustainable: you can keep it up for a long time, and it's easy to recover from.
Great for beginners.
4. StairMaster
Gets your heart rate up quickly.
Can help build muscle in your quads and glutes.
Drawbacks: it can be tough for beginners and may not be a good fit if you have knee or hip issues.
5. Sports (Example: basketball)
Fun makes it sustainable. If you enjoy yourself while doing cardio, that's a huge win.
Drawbacks: the risk of injury is higher, and it's hard to measure how your cardio is improving.
6. Swimming
No impact on your joints, which makes it a great option for people with joint issues.
Works your entire body.
Drawbacks: not everyone knows how to swim well, or at all. It can also be inconvenient getting to a pool, plus having to shower before and after.
Fun fact: you may burn slightly more calories in the water, because your body works to stay warm.
7. Hiking or walking hills outdoors
Gets you outside in nature, and in most cases, away from technology. That's my favorite part.
Sustainable: depending on the difficulty, you can keep going for a long time, and it's easy to recover from.
Drawbacks: going downhill can be hard on people with joint issues. On gradual trails, you may need to hike for a long time before your heart rate really climbs. Most people also have to drive to a trail, and weather and temperature can get in the way.
8. Rowing
Feels like light strength training: the movement is similar to strength exercises, just with light resistance.
Easy on the joints.
Drawback: it can be hard to keep going for long periods.
9. Running
Gets your heart rate up quickly.
Convenient: depending on where you live, you can head straight out your front door.
Drawbacks: running is hard on the joints. A treadmill is a bit more forgiving, but if you have a lower-body injury, running is likely to make it worse.
The main reason I don't love it: running takes a lot out of your legs and can get in the way of recovering from resistance training. Combining heavy running with lifting can lead to overtraining.
10. HIIT
Gets your heart rate up fast.
Drawbacks: the risk of injury is high. People often get hurt by rushing through movements instead of focusing on slow, controlled form.
Like running, HIIT is demanding on your body and can interfere with recovery from resistance training. Combined with lifting, it can lead to overtraining.