Cardio, cardio, cardio—it’s one of the most important types of exercises you can do to maintain and improve your health. While most people dread taking on cardiovascular exercise, doing so can strengthen your heart, lower stress, lower blood pressure, and enhance sleep quality. Due to these substantial benefits, many health advisors recommend getting about 150 minutes of cardio each week. If you’re interested in incorporating more cardiovascular exercises into your workout routine, here are some of the best cardio machines for your home gym you should consider investing in.
Treadmill
Let’s start with the obvious. Treadmills are one of the most popular cardio machines on the market. Regardless of whether it is scorching outside or freezing cold, treadmills will allow you to get in a quality run.
Fartlek Training
Fartlek, which means “speed play” in Swedish and was developed by Swedish coach Gösta Holmér in 1930, is continuous slower jog or slow running training with faster interval training that works speed training and endurance training. The training might also put uphill training in the mix.
If simply running a couple of miles on the treadmill seems a little too boring for your taste, there are plenty of other exercises you can do with this versatile machine—from sprint interval training to fartlek workouts.
Elliptical
An elliptical is a great alternative to a treadmill if you want a lower-impact cardio workout. For some, running can place a lot of stress on their joints, which can lead to pain and injury. Fortunately, elliptical machines greatly reduce the amount of strain placed on your joints during a cardio workout while having similar health benefits as running.
There are many types of elliptical trainers that you can purchase for your home gym, depending on your personal preferences. Some of the most common types of elliptical trainers include front-drive ellipticals, center-drive ellipticals, and rear-drive ellipticals.
Rowing Machine
Another one of the best cardio machines for your home gym is a rowing machine. A rowing machine simulates the action of rowing a watercraft.
When used correctly, rowing machines activate all major muscle groups and allow the user to burn more calories per minute than almost any other machine. For a low-impact, full-body workout, a rowing machine is an ideal equipment option.
Exercise Bike
Also known as a stationary bike, an exercise bike simulates the motion of riding a bicycle without actually moving anywhere. If you’re interested in a cardio workout that almost exclusively targets the leg muscles, an exercise bike is a great option.
Like the elliptical, an exercise bike provides similar benefits to running at a much lower impact, reducing the strain placed on your joints. Common types of exercise bikes include spin bikes, air bikes, and recumbent bikes.
