During summer, it’s like the world is your gym. You can go for a stroll, run, or bike through your neighborhood, basking in the sun on your face and the breeze through your hair. Winter is…well…different. Wind, rain, snow, and ice can seriously complicate your outdoor cardio routine, if not make it downright impossible. 

If you’re down to layer up and brace the cold, power to you! But if you need a new way to squeeze cardio into your winter routine, we’re here to help. We asked two fitness pros for their favorite indoor cardio workouts to get your blood pumping without having to endure Mother Nature’s mean streak. 

The Experts

• Denise Chakoian, Certified Fitness Trainer and owner of CORE Cycle and Fitness LaGree in Rhode Island 
• Stephanie Harris, Certified Trainer, creator and co-owner of HupSix

Is My Cardio Enough? The Signs of a Successful Workout

During home workouts, when you don’t have an instructor guiding you, it can be tricky to know if your cardio is intense enough to provide health benefits. So we asked our experts about the elements of a successful cardio workout that you can strive for at home. 

• Heart rate

“A solid cardio session should push your heart rate into moderate and vigorous zones long enough to trigger actual adaptation. Research shows that intervals of two to six minutes in the vigorous zone create the biggest improvements,” says Harris. “Vigorous minutes count as double, so 75 minutes a week achieves the American Heart Association’s 150-minute guideline.”

“This approach is ideal for people who dread repetitive cardio because you get more cardiovascular benefit in less time. To know if you are truly in the vigorous zone, consider using a chest-strap heart rate monitor. They tend to be more accurate than standard wrist-based trackers,” adds Harris. 

Chakoian notes that your ability to talk, “the talk test”, also provides clues into your heart rate: “The intensity can vary, but it should make you breathe harder while still allowing you to talk,” she says. 

•  Variety

“A successful cardio workout includes variety, using different exercises to work multiple muscle groups and keep your body adapting,” says Chakoian. 

• Cool down

“Ending with a proper cool-down and stretching helps your body recover and lowers the risk of injury,” adds Chakoian. 

Looking for cardio exercise suggestions? Here are Chakoian’s favorites:

• “Mountain climbers [are a] plank position exercise that mimics running and works your core.”
• Jump squats: “Squat down and jump up repeatedly to strengthen legs and get your heart pumping,”
• Skater jumps [are] Side-to-side jumps that work legs, core, and balance while increasing heart rate.”

Minimal Square Footage? Try This.

While home workouts can be ultra-convenient and accessible, they depend on one crucial thing—square footage. Without enough room in your home to really get moving, productive cardio workouts may feel out of reach. But we have good news: Our experts have exercise recommendations to get your heart rate up, even if you’re cramped for space. 

• Bodyweight squats: “Stand in place and lower your hips down and back, then rise. This works your legs and glutes without needing extra room,” says Chakoian. 
• Push-ups: “You just need enough space for your body to lie down. Push-ups strengthen your chest, arms, and core,” notes Chakoian. 
• Lunges (in place): “Step forward or stay in a small area and do stationary lunges. They tone your legs and improve balance,” says Chakoian. 
• Planks: “Hold your body in a straight line on your hands or elbows. Planks strengthen your core and take almost no space,” adds Chakoian. 

Stringing together a few reps of each of these exercises can help get your heart rate up for at-home cardio. The typical HIIT intervals are a good starting point: a 1:2 ratio of exercise to rest. 

Harris recommends HupSix, a home workout system she created. It’s a 30-minute cardio interval workout that uses a combination of bodyweight, music-synced timing cues, and patented gear (including a 20-pound anchor weight linked to bungee cords with attached handles). It takes up the space of a yoga mat, so it’s a great pick for smaller spaces. 

“With HupSix, the simple act of using your hands throughout the workout and moving in sync with the music helps keep your mind engaged and reduces perceived effort. The structure of six rounds in thirty minutes makes it feel quick, doable, and repeatable, which is why so many people stick with it,” says Harris. 

Equipment-Free Home Cardio Workouts

Wish you could get a solid home cardio workout without spending your hard-earned cash on equipment? You’re in luck. Here are our pros’ favorite cardio exercises that don’t require any special gear:

• “Jumping jacks will quickly raise your heart rate. Doing them for a few minutes at a steady pace will help build endurance and coordination,” says Chakoian. 
• Jump rope “provide[s] enough intensity to hit vigorous zones without relying on large, expensive machines like treadmills or bikes,” says Harris. 
• “Burpees are a combination of a squat, a jump, and a push-up that involves your entire body, elevating your heart rate quickly,” says Chakoian. 
• “Butt kicks are done by running in place and bringing your heels up toward your glutes. They help loosen your hamstrings and raise your heart rate,” says Chakoian. 

Home Workout Motivation Tips

For some, exercising at home presents a challenge beyond limited space or equipment: low motivation. We often associate being at home with relaxation, and it’s chock-full of distractions, from that laundry that needs to be done to that TV show we can’t wait to binge.

Here are our pros’ tips for sticking to a home cardio routine:

• Create a schedule: “Choose a regular time each day to exercise and treat it like an appointment. Knowing exactly when your workout happens reduces the chance of skipping it. Start with short sessions, even 10 to 15 minutes, to make it manageable,” says Chakoian. 
• Create a dedicated workout space: “Pick a small spot in your home to use only for workouts, even if it's just a corner. Using the same area each time helps your mind know it's time to exercise. Make sure the space is clean and free from distractions, like phones or the TV. A simple, organized area can make it easier to begin and stay consistent with your workouts,” adds Chakoian. 
• Try for guided workouts: “Guided workouts make all the difference. They keep you focused and reduce decision fatigue. Once someone starts regularly logging vigorous minutes, they usually experience a post-workout ‘cardio high’”, says Harris. 
• Find a workout buddy: “Invite a friend over to exercise with you. If this doesn't work, you could even work out with someone virtually. This will help to keep you accountable. Knowing someone else is counting on you makes it harder to skip sessions. Sharing workouts can also make them more enjoyable,” says Chakoian. With Stridekick challenges, you can virtually keep up with your workout buddies, providing accountability in a fun, easy format. 

Stridekick Tip

Decking out your space with these fitness tools can help intensify your home workout sessions, even if you’re short on space: 

• Tonal 2, a complete home strength-training system with optimized resistance, expert-led workouts, real-time guidance, and progress tracking
• The SMARTSTEP™ System, a cardio and strength platform with a stable, impact-absorbing surface to boost muscle activation
• A membership for Obé Fitness, a women-focused workout app with over 10,000 on-demand classes across over 20 formats ranging from dance to Pilates to yoga to strength and more

With winter upon us, it’s time to make the most of the great indoors. With these tips from our experts (and perhaps a workout challenge or two from Stridekick) you can keep up your cardio routine from your very own abode.