Types of Cardio to do Without Equipment?

[masterxfob]

Not enough weight, or not walking fast enough. If I wanted to produce resistance comparable to jogging while walking at normal speed, I'd start experimenting from a load of 1/3 bodyweight (25 kilos for me), add or remove some weight if necessary. Of course you can walk faster, and if you walk fast enough you don't need to add weight at all because walking actually becomes harder than jogging after you hit a certain speed (see olympic racewalking).

OP never said he wanted his heart racing, he said "cardio" and "alternative to jogging". Being in the cardio zone doesn't feel like your heart racing - it's a pace you should be able to sustain for many hours at a time. When I'm commuting on a bike, I have to very deliberately slow down at every uphill - no matter how small - to an unnaturally slow speed or else I go above the cardio zone (I'm using an estimate of 120-140). I only really start feeling that the heart is doing some work at around 160.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Exercise_zones.png

sorry, but this just seems like a good way to fxck up your back. that's way too much weight to be walking around with, and your center of gravity would be too high up and behind your body.

 

[Pia]

sorry, but this just seems like a good way to fxck up your back. that's way too much weight to be walking around with, and your center of gravity would be too high up and behind your body.

I have never seen anyone fuck up their back by carrying a load in a backpack, and 1/3 bodyweight isn't even particularly heavy. It's about the weight of a full march loadout I had in the Army; the percentage of bodyweight was higher for people lighter than me since they also had to carry the same stuff. Also, when Scouting as a 10-15 year old, I also occasionally carried 1/3 bodyweight into the woods - winter gear is heavy.

Walking "normal cardio durations" like an hour with a load on your back is completely safe. At most you get a blister or two in the feet.

Of course, OP probably would not even initially need to add a lot of weight to get the desired cardio effect. Adding 10kg and walking briskly might be enough.

 

[HNNstyle]

I have never seen anyone fuck up their back by carrying a load in a backpack, and 1/3 bodyweight isn't even particularly heavy. It's about the weight of a full march loadout I had in the Army; the percentage of bodyweight was higher for people lighter than me since they also had to carry the same stuff. Also, when Scouting as a 10-15 year old, I also occasionally carried 1/3 bodyweight into the woods - winter gear is heavy.

Walking "normal cardio durations" like an hour with a load on your back is completely safe. At most you get a blister or two in the feet.

Of course, OP probably would not even initially need to add a lot of weight to get the desired cardio effect. Adding 10kg and walking briskly might be enough.

Sorry but I don't like the idea. Carrying extra load can only be done by people who are in the most fit condition that they can possibly be. Even then, I'd still run the chance of hurting my joints since I have flat feet.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

shadow boxing

 

[Pia]

Sorry but I don't like the idea. Carrying extra load can only be done by people who are in the most fit condition that they can possibly be. Even then, I'd still run the chance of hurting my joints since I have flat feet.

I have flat feet. It causes the muscles of the sole to tire easier from walking and standing and requires you to find flatter-bottomed shoes, but I don't see what it has to do with joints. There is no evidence that exercising is a bad idea when you have flat feet:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_feet

(BTW, moving around as much as you can with bare feet strengthens the muscles of the sole and the "easily tired sole" problem goes away. I have taken to wearing ultra-thin soled shoes for this reason.)

If you are in bad shape, walking briskly is aerobic zone cardio. If walking isn't enough to put you in aerobic zone, you are in good enough shape to carry some extra load. It's about the most natural form of exercise available to man, instead of "athlete only". Old and disabled people go hiking all the time. Children carry backpacks on long walks to school every day. People carry their shopping home.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

mountain climbers

 

[FallenHero]

Up and down the ladder.

20 air squats, 1 pushup
19 air squats, 2 pushups
18 air squats, 3 pushups

and so on until

1 air squat, 20 pushups

you will puke. Its awesome.

 

[Zargon]

Get proper shoes and adjust your form/gait. Running shouldn't be hard on your knees unless they've already been messed up from another issue.

Equipment-less cardio . . . jumping jacks? But you've got bad knees.

Edit - I'd put up swimming maybe. Doubt you have a pool in your back yard, but maybe a community pool would be a closer trip than the gym.

running is hard on the knees esp on pavement...period.


excercise bike? just bought my wife one

 

[neocpp]

running is hard on the knees esp on pavement...period.


excercise bike? just bought my wife one

I think OP didn't want to use any equipment, but yea, the stationary bike is my go-to when I can't run. I don't trust any of the numbers it puts up, but going by feel is good enough for me.

 

[marmasatt]

Up and down the ladder.

20 air squats, 1 pushup
19 air squats, 2 pushups
18 air squats, 3 pushups

and so on until

1 air squat, 20 pushups

you will puke. Its awesome.

You're a sick bastard. I thought burpees were bad enough.

 

[HNNstyle]

I have flat feet. It causes the muscles of the sole to tire easier from walking and standing and requires you to find flatter-bottomed shoes, but I don't see what it has to do with joints. There is no evidence that exercising is a bad idea when you have flat feet:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_feet

(BTW, moving around as much as you can with bare feet strengthens the muscles of the sole and the "easily tired sole" problem goes away. I have taken to wearing ultra-thin soled shoes for this reason.)

If you are in bad shape, walking briskly is aerobic zone cardio. If walking isn't enough to put you in aerobic zone, you are in good enough shape to carry some extra load. It's about the most natural form of exercise available to man, instead of "athlete only". Old and disabled people go hiking all the time. Children carry backpacks on long walks to school every day. People carry their shopping home.

I have bad knees from jogging 25 miles a week, minimum, on pavement when I was younger. Nothing you say will convince me to put 40 pounds on my back and risk hurting my knees again.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

running is hard on the knees esp on pavement...period.


excercise bike? just bought my wife one

That's not true at all. Running is only hard on your knees if you have biomechanical abnormalities within your gait. Research has shown pretty regularly that runners actually have a lower rate of osteoarthritis in the lower extremities than the average population.

 

[Sixguns]

Running used to hurt my knees when I first started to work out. But since Ive lost 70lbs they no longer bother me.

 

[RagingBITCH]

That's not true at all. Running is only hard on your knees if you have biomechanical abnormalities within your gait. Research has shown pretty regularly that runners actually have a lower rate of osteoarthritis in the lower extremities than the average population.

Finally, someone with actual knowledge of it. Also helps strengthen bone density...which most people think it actually destroys/weakens bones.

I concur with Bateuler - time to look at changing your running economics/form. You might also benefit from seeing a PT - strengthening up your various weak links. I've worked out for 10 years and thought "I'm completely rock solid"...my PT found extremely weak hips, left leg that's pointed out (from the hip), few other things. All the correction given has made me a better runner.

 

[supastar1568]

I do push-up Burpees counting down from 17 and 45 seconds rest between each set.

17 Burpees
45 Sec Rest
16 Burpees
45 Sec Rest

All the way down to 0.

Gonna try to work my way up to starting with 18 within the next couple of weeks.

 

[marvdmartian]

Can't say how much cardio it would provide, since that would depend on how many you did, but......

When I went through basic training (too many years ago now), they decided to punish us one day, for some real or imagine infraction. Mostly because we were still thinking like individuals, instead of a team. They told us we only had to do 300 jumping jacks. Didn't sound TOO bad......until they told us that we had to do it in perfect unison, as a team, and that every time someone got out of rhythm with the rest of the group, we'd start back over at zero again.

Needless to say, we did about 1000 jumping jacks that day.......and NEVER got much past the count of 100!!