4 Cold Weather Cardio Methods

Winter is fast approaching up here and our typical warm weather cardio exercises like running and biking are getting more and more difficult and uncomfortable to perform.  Rather than let our health and fat loss goals fall by the wayside, we have to find alternatives so that we can continue to see results.  Finding alternatives to traditional cardio exercise like biking and running, we have to think outside the box a little bit.  I’ve got three that will stir up your cardio exercise without sacrificing any results.  In fact these three will more likely be more intense cardio training than what you are normally used to performing.

Cardio Method number one is the stairs.  Any stairs actually.  Doing stair sprints for 30 seconds or 10 sprints up and down your stairs in your home are both great alternatives.  You can also change it up further by sprinting up and skipping a step with each step on the way up, then on the way down you can hit every step.  If you have a longer stair well you can sprint up during your high intensity interval and walk down during your recovery.  If you aren’t used to stairs, be prepared, after one session of stair intervals, you will definitely feel it the next two days.

Cardio Method number two is body weight exercise.  It sounds a little more like weight training, but when you look at cardio training, it is just high repetition weight training.  But what I’m referring to as a cold weather cardio is doing exercises like burpee, hill climbers, jumping jacks, high knees, jump squats, tuck jumps, etc.  These movements are high intensity and get the body doing all the work as opposed to a cardio machine like a treadmill or elliptical.  Like stairs, perform 30 seconds high intensity then recover for 30-90 seconds walking around .

Cardio Method number three is getting outdoors and embracing the weather.  It is still a short time before the ground is covered with snow enough to do cardio method number three, but it doesn’t hurt to be prepared and have a plan for when it does.  Snowshoeing is a tremendous cardio exercise that can be done walking or in sprints, light snow or deep snow.  Snowshoeing can be very intense especially in deeper snow, and is a tremendous cardio exercise alternative to running.  Think of it as resisted running or walking.

Cardio Method number four is perhaps my favorite exercise tool to use for both strength and for cardio vascular benefit.  Kettlebell training has the unique ability to provide the best of both worlds.  Kettlebells can be done anywhere anytime which makes them a great indoor training tool especially when the weather turns for the worse.  Exercises such as kettlebell swings, clean and press, and snatches are all tremendous ways to get your cardio training in with kettlebells.  One downfall the kettlebell has is you should be trained in using kettlebells before actually using them as a tool.  But once you have the training, the possibilities are endless.

There are plenty of ways to train when the weather takes a turn for the worse.  Think outside the box with your training and find new methods to stir up change in your body and for a mental change.  The best part about all of these alternatives is that they can be just as or more intense than your typical cardio training routine.