Simple Cardio Routines for Weight Loss in 60 Days

Regular cardio sessions have benefits beyond just weight loss—but the fat-burning is a nice bonus! "No matter your age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic activity is good for you. Aerobic activity has many health benefits. As your body adapts to regular aerobic exercise, you'll get stronger and fitter." Here are 10 simple cardio routines to kickstart your weight loss and improve your health and fitness.

Walking On An Incline

Walking in an incline is a great low-impact way to get a good cardio workout. "Given the added intensity of an incline, your heart rate will spike more quickly than at a level surface," personal trainer Chance Ruggeroli tells Texas Health. "That's why I like to use inclines within the general warm-up phase of a training session when we're trying to reach a specific heart rate quickly. However, walking at an incline can be a great exercise on its own. It is an excellent substitute for those recovering from injury, trying to reduce the impact on their joints, or to get an efficient workout within a small window of time."

Swimming

Swimming is a great low-impact cardio exercise that burns hundreds of calories and is actually fun. "Swimming provides an array of specific benefits such as improved cardiovascular and respiratory fitness, improved muscle strength and endurance, improved lean body mass, lower risk of traumatic injuries such as occurs during high-impact activities, and improved mental health and well-being," Mitch Lomax, a pulmonologist and exercise physiologist at the University of Portsmouth, tells National Geographic.

Skipping Rope

Incorporate jump rope exercises into your weight loss routine. "Jumping rope is great cardiovascular exercise," exercise physiologist Katie Lawton, MEd, tells the Cleveland Clinic. "It can get your heart rate up. You can use it to complement a strength training program."

Burpees

Burpees are hugely beneficial when it comes to weight loss. "The combination of strength training and cardiovascular exercise in a single movement increases your metabolism, helping you burn more calories during and after your workout," says the ASFA. "This makes burpees an excellent addition to any weight loss program or workout routine focused on reducing body fat."

Jump Squats

Jump squats are a great cardio plyometric exercise. "Squat jumps are considered a compound movement because multiple joints (ankles, knee, hips) and multiple muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings, abdominals, transverse abdominis, hip flexors, erector spinae) are involved," Chris Gagliardi, ACE- and NASM-certified personal trainer, tells Nike.

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks are effective and can be done anywhere. "Jumping jacks can specifically improve aerobic capacity, decrease resting heart rate and blood pressure, decrease risk of cardiovascular disease, improve metabolism, and help to maintain a healthy weight," Clara Baini, DPT, tells Nike.

Riding a Bike

Riding an outdoors bike is another fun, low-impact way to do cardio. "Cycling is one of the healthiest and most low-impact forms of exercise – meaning it causes less strain and injuries than most other workouts," says the University of Montana. "So it's a hobby you can continue to enjoy throughout your long life. And, unlike other forms of exercise, you won't dread doing it."

Regular Walking

Just a simple walk or hike is one of the best exercises for weight loss, providing you keep up a brisk pace. "Walking has been essential to human health and survival, from the hunter-gatherer tradition to working on farms. But we've been living a sedentary lifestyle the past 100 years, and it's led to higher rates of heart disease, stroke, heart attacks, high blood pressure or hypertension, and high cholesterol," cardiologist Hicham Skali, MD, MSc, tells Mass General Brigham. "Walking is one of the necessary functions of our bodies, and it can help prevent those conditions. It comes naturally, and it's just as important to survival now as it was 100 years ago."

Running

Running is a great way to work out for weight loss. "If burning calories is your main goal, consider running or cycling over walking," says Corewell Health. "The faster you go and the harder you work, the more calories you'll burn per hour. That said, if you're just beginning or you have health conditions that make running or cycling difficult, start with walking and increase the time you spend exercising and your speed as you get stronger."

HIIT Workouts

HIIT workouts offer big benefits in a short amount of time. "Try a high-intensity interval training workout and enjoy a great workout with similar benefits as a standard aerobic workout in less time," says the Mayo Clinic. "In interval training, you alternate between short periods of intense activity and longer periods of less intense activity." And if you enjoyed this article, don't miss 12-3-30 Walking Method: 20 Proven Tips to Lose Weight Faster.