How To Get The Most Out Of Your Cardio Workouts

Cardio means anything that keeps your heart rate up for a good stretch: a treadmill, a bike ride, a pickup softball game. The CDC’s adult guideline is 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or a mix of the two. Here’s how to get the most out of whichever kind you pick.

Updated November 4, 2026.

What keeps a cardio habit alive is having two or three workouts you don’t dread. Then a rainy day or a sore knee doesn’t wreck the whole week. Most of us have skipped a workout because the weather turned, so a backup plan helps.

Cardio Workouts at Home, No Equipment Needed

You can do plenty of cardio in the privacy and comfort of home. Running in place, jumping rope, jumping jacks and stair laps all count, and none of them need gear. Squat jumps, burpees, mountain climbers and bear crawls work, and so does kickboxing when you want something different. Got room for a machine? A treadmill, stationary bike, rowing machine or elliptical works your heart the same way a run outside does.

Taking Your Cardio Outside

Outside, you get the same workout plus fresh air and open space, which may help take the edge off stress. The CDC lists brisk walking as a moderate-intensity activity and gives 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week as one way to hit the 150. So a daily walk can cover it. Anyone who has walked the same loop every day for a month knows the scenery gets old, so change the route now and then. Running, maybe the most popular kind of outdoor cardio, works your heart and lungs harder, but knees, ankles and feet take a beating. That’s why plenty of people mix walking, jogging and hiking instead of running every time.

Going High Intensity

Interval training packs short, hard bursts into a short session: sprints, rowing, biking, burpees. You recover, then go again. It’s popular because it’s convenient. You can do it at the gym, outside or at home, and it fits when you’re short on time. Even a brisk walk can become intervals if you pick up the pace for a bit, then ease off. The CDC counts 75 minutes of vigorous activity, like jogging or running, as an equal alternative to 150 minutes of moderate activity. That’s how hard intervals can cover your week in less total time. We go deeper in the benefits of HIIT workouts.

Mixing Up Your Cardio Workouts

Doing the same cardio workout every day can feel like wading through molasses. Once you’re bored, you start finding reasons to skip. Do hard sprints one day, then an easy swim or a slow jog the next. You stay interested, and whatever you pushed hard yesterday gets a break. A trainer or a group helps too. Whatever helps you see cardio as worth doing, not something you’re stuck with, go with it. A good cardio playlist doesn’t hurt either.

Doing It With Other People

Cardio doesn’t have to be a solo thing, and if you’re more of a people person, there are plenty of ways to work out with others. Boutique gyms built around interval classes put you in a room with people working just as hard. Big gyms often fold specialty classes into the membership. Rec leagues for flag football, basketball and softball give you the same cardio and feel less like exercise, depending on what your town offers. It’s often a lot more fun to do it near friends or teammates, and most of us show up more when a friend is waiting for us. New in town? A league or a class is about the fastest way to meet people.

Tracking Your Heart Rate

Most fitness watches have a heart rate monitor now, and it turns a guess about effort into a number. That tells you whether a session was really moderate or vigorous, instead of just how tired you feel. A casual jog where you have no idea how hard you’re working is a lot less useful. Anyone who has counted steps on a watch knows how fun it is to watch the number go up. No watch? The CDC’s talk test works. At moderate effort you can talk but not sing. At vigorous effort you can’t say more than a few words without stopping for breath.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician about your own situation.

Cardio Workouts FAQ

How much cardio does the CDC actually recommend?

For adults, 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week, or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, or an equal mix of the two. The CDC also wants at least 2 days a week of muscle-strengthening work that hits all the major muscle groups. And it says plainly that some physical activity is better than none.

Is walking enough cardio on its own?

It can be. The CDC lists brisk walking as a moderate-intensity activity, and its own example of reaching 150 minutes is 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. A brisk daily walk covers the aerobic part of the guideline. You’d still want the 2 days of strength work on top.

Why does interval training take less time than steady cardio?

The CDC treats 75 minutes of vigorous activity, like jogging or running, as an equal alternative to 150 minutes of moderate activity. Hard interval bursts push you into vigorous effort, so the weekly time you need is smaller. If you can only get out a few words between breaths, you’re there.