20 ways to add more cardio to your life

We all need to get up as much as possible, and tracking your movement by standing up once every hour is a great way to ensure you’re moving your body. Stand up at the top of every hour and move around or stretch just a bit to get some cardio and feel better. 

Depending on your living space size, you can get some steps in while watching TV. You can pace back and forth across your living room or march in place. If you have a treadmill, walk on that while catching up on your favorite program. 

This might not always be possible, but stand during a meeting when you can. If you have a flexible work environment, ask your coworkers if they don’t mind you standing for a bit, and if you work from home, get on your feet for your quarterly. 

Many of us naturally get up and move while we’re on the phone, especially if it’s an anxiety-inducing call. You can walk around the house while you’re on the phone with your boss or around the neighborhood while you’re on the phone with a friend. 

We all have to do house chores, so we might as well get a little more cardiovascular exercise in while doing so. Having more weight on your body will make your heart work harder, so if you can, strap some ankle weights on while you vacuum and mop for a two-birds-one-stone effect. 

It might not seem like a great workout, but standing has many benefits. If you need to increase your cardio and it’s feasible, get a standing desk. You don’t need to stand the entire day, but even standing for 10 minutes every hour will make a huge difference. 

If you love biking, get stationary pedals for under your desk. You’ll move your legs more without tons of effort, and you’ll be able to do so while getting paid work done. It’s a win-win. 

The oldest cardio hack in the book, if you want to add more steps to your day, park far away from your destination. It’s tempting and satisfying to get the closest parking spot possible, but your heart will thank you for choosing the spot that’s farther away. 

Taking the stairs instead of the elevator is another good way to stay a little healthier. If it seems like too big a mountain to climb, start small. Opt for the stairs just once per day instead of taking the elevator. 

You might look like a massive dork while doing this, but you’ll be a massive dork who lives longer than everyone else. If you can manage it (don’t push people out of the way to do this), walk up escalators. Again, you might feel stupid, but it’s a temporary feeling for long-term benefits. 

This might only apply to people who wear makeup or spend a lot of time on their hair, but it’s a good suggestion nonetheless. If you take 45 to 60 minutes every day to get ready, stand while you do it rather than sit. It’s a simple way to get on your feet. 

If you live within walking distance of the grocery store and are only in need of a few items, walk to the store rather than drive. If you need to send an envelope, run to the mailbox instead of dropping it off while you’re on your way to work. 

You don’t need to find a body of water to tread water in (unless you want to), but if you happen to be spending time at a lake with friends or in a pool with your family, tread water for a bit. It’s a full-body exercise, so you’ll feel the effects after a few minutes. 

Getting lunch or meeting for a drink is a fun way to catch up with a friend, but a healthier way is to go for a walk. You’ll still get in quality time while you increase your cardio intake. Plus, talking while you walk is a good way to gauge how much more cardio you need to do. 

If you’re baking cookies or roasting vegetables, don’t sit down while that timer is going. Stay on your feet. You can clean your counters, take a lap around the house, or stand by the oven while the food cooks. No matter what, it’s an easy way to get some quick cardio.  

Folding laundry is one of the worst tasks, but it’s a necessary evil. If you see cardio that way, task-stack folding laundry with cardio by standing while doing it. You’ll get two terrible tasks finished at the same time. 

If you fold your clothes in a different area of the house than where you store your clothes, add some cardio by taking one item at a time from your folding area to your storage area. It seems silly and inefficient (and it sort of is), but it serves a purpose. 

Mimic your new laundry-cardio hack by carrying in one grocery bag at a time from your car. It’ll up your cardio intake and save your arms from feeling like they might fall off when you line them with as many bags as possible. 

Standing while you eat isn’t the right solution for everyone, but for certain people, it has health benefits. Chief among them is it’s an easy way to add more cardio to your life. But again, if you have particular health conditions, you may need to continue sitting while you eat. 

If there’s an episode of a podcast you’ve been trying to finish, walk around your house while you listen. Listening to a podcast will make the cardio go by faster, and walking will make the podcast go by quicker.