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10-Minute Beginner Cardio Workout (No Equipment)

By: Lindsey Bomgren, CPT | May 7, 2024

Get fit at home with this 10-Minute Beginner Cardio Workout. There’s no jumping and no equipment needed for this quick and effective home workout. This all-standing cardio workout at home will leave you feeling accomplished and energized in just ten minutes.

Jump To Workout

If I want to shake out sore muscles or quickly break a sweat at home, this is the workout I do.

I love that this accessible beginner cardio workout can be done entirely from a standing position. Perfect if you’re a beginner, pregnant or postpartum, recovering from an injury, or workout in a space shared with kids and pets.

We’ll work through 15 unique bodyweight exercises, each designed to push your heart rate into the aerobic zone.

Aerobic exercise is a form of moderate intensity training. It is beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight, increasing stamina and fitness, improving the immune system and lowering the risk of health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

I also love this workout as a fun way to get your daily steps in without leaving your home. I personally got over one thousand steps during this quick cardio workout.

Knock this out as a quick and effective 10-minute “micro” workout on it’s own, or add it onto a core workout.

two women performing a sumo squat as part of low impact beginner cardio workout

Beginner Cardio Workout At Home

Get your heart pumping, burn calories, and improve heart health with this quick beginner cardio workout at home.

Add a low impact cardio workout like this one to your weekly workout routine 1-2 times a week to increase cardiovascular health and endurance.

Workout Equipment:

No equipment, just your body weight.

Workout Instructions:

Follow along with the guided Beginner Cardio Workout Video on YouTube, led by certified personal trainer Lindsey Bomgren. 

Your Workout Looks Like This:

  • 15 Standing Bodyweight Cardio Exercises
  • Timed Intervals (30 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. Perform as many reps as possible with good form within the timed interval.)
  • Perform Each Cardio Exercise x1 (no repeats)

Workout Outline

  1. Squat and Overhead Punch
  2. Standing Hamstring Curl
  3. Heel Tap Jump Rope
  4. High Knee Skips
  5. Heel Tap and High Knees
  6. Jab and Tap
  7. Lateral Squat Walks
  8. Oblique Knee Drive (Right) and Jabs (Left)
  9. Four-Way Jog
  10. Oblique Knee Drive (Left) and Jabs (Right)
  11. Sumo Squat and Reach
  12. Jab, Squat and Reach
  13. Star Jacks
  14. Crossbody Jab and Squat Boat Rows
  15. Lateral Shuffles

5 Best Beginner Cardio Exercises

1. Standing Hamstring Curl

Targets: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, core, back, chest and shoulders.

two women performing standing hamstring curls as part of beginner cardio workout

How To Do Standing Hamstring Curls

  1. Start standing, feet hip-width apart, core engaged, and a slight bend in both knees.
  2. Transfer your weight to your right foot, while at the same time bending your left knee to kick your left heel back towards your glutes.
  3. Quickly switch to the left leg, stepping out with your left foot while kicking the right heel back towards your glutes. Try to make the motion as fluid as possible, smoothly alternating between legs.

2. Jump Rope

Targets: Calves, quads, hamstrings, glutes, abs, oblique muscles, forearms, biceps, triceps, shoulders, back and chest.

two women jumping rope in place as part of at home cardio workout

How To Jump Rope In Place

  1. Start standing, feet under hips, core engaged, and a slight bend in both knees.
  2. Mimic holding the handles of a jump rope in each hand, elbows at your sides (option to use a jump rope if you have one).
  3. Mimic the motion of swinging a rope over your head. Keep your elbows near your sides as you draw small circles with closed fists, keeping the biceps engaged.
  4. As the rope would approach your feet, perform a small jump. Land softly, with bent knees.
  5. Continue this pattern, finding a rhythm and speed you can maintain for the entire work interval.

3. Lateral Squat Walks

Targets: Hip flexors, quads, outer glutes, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, and back.

Increase your heart rate by pushing your arms further overhead, or lower your heart rate by reducing the range of motion.

two women performing lateral squat jack walks as part of beginner cardio workout

How To Do Lateral Squat Jack Walks

  1. Start standing in an athletic stance, feet hip width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold your arms just under shoulder height, slight bend in the elbows.
  2. Side step to the right with your right foot, then step your left foot across to join your right. As you step to the right, open the arms wide overhead to raise your heart rate. Pull the arms in as the left foot taps.
  3. Repeat, performing two lateral step-touches to the right side.
  4. Tap the left foot on the floor and then immediately step back to the left, following with your right to tap. Perform two lateral step-touches to the left side.
  5. Repeat this process, alternating two lateral steps to the right with two lateral steps to the left.

4. Sumo Squat And Reach

Targets: Inner thighs (adductors), outer thighs (abductors), glutes, quads, calves, core and shoulders.

The sumo squat is one of the best inner thigh exercises and helps stabilize the hips and pelvic floor. Adding a calf raise at the top is a low impact way to mimic a squat jump.

two women performing sumo squats as part of beginner cardio workout

How To Do Sumo Squats And Reaches

  1. Stand with feet wider than hips, heels in and toes pointed slightly out (sumo squat stance).
  2. Bend your knees to lower down into a squat, pushing your knees out towards your pinky toes as you drop your hips parallel to your knees.
  3. At the bottom of your sumo squat, tap your fingers down, tapping the ground if possible.
  4. Then drive through your legs to stand back up. Think about squeezing your inner thighs together as you stand tall, legs straight, reaching both arms overhead. Option to add a calf raise at the top, raising your heels off the ground.

5. Jab and Tap

Targets: Legs, glutes, quadriceps (thighs), arms, back, biceps and core.

two women performing a series of jabs and tap outs as part of beginner cardio workout at home

How To Do Jabs and Taps

  1. Start standing feet shoulder-width distance apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Bring hands or knuckles up to “defend” your face in a guard position.
  2. Perform a “jab” by quickly punching your right arm directly in front of you. As you punch, step your right leg out to the side, tapping the ground with your right toes.
  3. Then, pull your right arm and right leg back to center, returning to the starting position.
  4. Repeat, this time punching straight ahead with your left arm while tapping your left leg out to the side.
  5. Pull your left arm and leg back to center, returning to the starting position.

FAQs

Which Cardio Is Best For Beginners?

In my opinion, walking is the most underrated form of exercise, particularly for beginners. Beginners should start with low impact workouts, which are more joint-friendly and reduce the risk of injury. Low impact cardio might include walking workouts, stationary biking, elliptical training, or rowing.

How Long Should A Beginner Do Cardio?

As a certified personal trainer, I recommend starting with 10 to 20 minutes of cardio, two to three times a week. As a beginner, I recommend you avoid fasted cardio. Aim for a pre-workout snack that includes about 15 grams of protein and 30 grams of carbohydrates. Beginners should learn how your body responds to exercise and build a consistent routine before trying fasted cardio or longer cardio sessions.

What Is The Best Workout Routine For Beginners?

The best way to stay motivated is to follow a workout plan. This takes the guesswork out of how many reps, what exercises, and how many days a week to workout. I recommend following one of our free beginner workout plans.

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woman performing a standing cardio exercise

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