If you want to lose weight fast, finding the best cardio workout is crucial but it may not be as difficult as you think.

Cardio or cardiovascular exercise increases your heart rate and is also known as aerobic exercise. The type of exercise which falls into this category includes swimming and running, cycling and jogging.

There are also plenty of ways to get your heart beating faster in the gym, using rowing machines, the treadmill or stationary bikes, elliptical trainers and so on.

It may sound as if you need to take up a sport or go to the gym.However, that isn’t the case. You can also do cardio exercises at home using the stairs for stepping, running on the spot or riding a stationary bike if you have one.

So What is the Best Cardio Workout?

Contrary to what you might expect, recent studies have shown that short periods of cardio exercise, that is ten minutes several times a day, work better than one longer period.

This is good news for those of you who have busy lives and find it hard to fit an exercise program into a demanding routine. So if you work long hours or have a house full of children to take care of, you can more easily find time for ten minutes in the morning, ten minutes the evening and ten in your lunch break or before the kids get home from school

There are plenty of exercises you can do at home without equipment. The eleven minute RAF workout is a good example. Or you could borrow an aerobic workout DVD from the library. Just make sure that whatever exercise plan you choose is right for your current level of fitness. If you haven’t exercised in a while, start with a program aimed at beginners and if you have any health problems, consult your doctor first.

Advantages of Cardio

Cardio workouts have many advantages, especially if you are overweight as they help to burn calories fast. And a cardio workout will also help you feel better, which is great news if you suffer from depression or find your mood drops when the weather is gray and gloomy.

You get plenty of health benefits too, as cardio will strength your heart and lungs. And it’s great for condition such as diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. It’s also very good for stress. So if you have a busy life, cardio will help you unwind.

Your Ten Minute Workouts

As you can see, there is plenty of choice when it comes to choosing your ten minute workouts. So pick a combination of cardio exercises that you enjoy. For example, you could do ten minutes of aerobic exercise such as step, running on the spot and skipping at home in the morning, go for a ten minute jog in the park at lunch time and then have a ten minute bike ride after work, or with the kids when they get home.

You can also vary your mini workouts. Try to exercise 3 times a week. If you choose one day at the weekend you could do something completely different. For example go to a park and roller skate for ten minutes, kick a ball around the backyard for ten minutes or spend some time in the pool and make sure you swim hard for ten minutes allowing yourself to splash around and have fun for the rest of your visit.