Cardiovascular training is considered the most important and effective form of exercise due to its overall health benefits. Even general non-equipment cardio such as walking, running and swimming ultimately allows you to live longer and healthier. Cardiovascular exercises focus on processes related to the heart, essentially increasing your heart rate. By engaging in regular cardio, you ward off a wide range of diseases and conditions and benefit from the following:

• Weight loss through fat-burning
• Strengthens heart muscles
• Expands breathing capacity
• Boosts overall strength
• Increases energy levels
• Ups quality of sleep
• Improves metabolism

Your cardio training relies on how well your body is able to use oxygen during your workout and the capacity of your lungs.

You can invest in a few popular go-to exercise equipment and cardio machines for your home gym setup. Before you do, make sure to consider your budget and what fitness or workout level you’re working with so you don’t overstrain. It’s also important to incorporate the new equipment into your existing workout routine for a seamless transition and make sure you have enough space for your new gear!

The treadmill remains a popular choice as a cardio machine, ideal for maintaining a consistent heart rate during exercise. This enables you to operate within your optimal range for longer durations, potentially seeing results more swiftly. Particularly favoured by those keen on fat burning, treadmills provide a gentler alternative to outdoor running, being kinder on your knees and joints. They're also convenient for integrating HIIT workouts, especially given the array of running programmes available on premium models.

Investing in a treadmill is no small decision, but the benefits extend beyond the mere convenience of indoor running. Depending on your budget, treadmills come equipped with features like heart monitors, diverse running programmes, timers, and incline adjustments to simulate hill running, among others.

How to use a treadmill:

1) Choose comfortable running shoes and wear thick socks.

2) Start with a 5-minute warm-up, walking at a pace of 1.5 to 2mph.

3) Instead of gripping the handles, swing your arms naturally; this can increase calorie burn.

4) Securely attach the safety clip to your attire, ensuring it can activate the emergency stop if necessary.

5) For beginners, aim for a 20-30 minute run at a moderate pace of 3 to 4mph.

6) Finish with a 5-minute cool-down, gradually reducing your speed.

Remember to always prioritise safety and listen to your body to avoid overexertion.

The elliptical cross-trainer is another fundamental gym must-have, featuring two long handles and foot pedals. It simulates the actions of walking, running, and climbing stairs, providing a comprehensive full-body workout. Predominantly utilised for weight loss, elliptical cross-trainers are comparable to treadmills in delivering a robust cardio session. However, they are less likely to overwork your muscles as they engage larger muscle groups, such as your chest, shoulders, and glutes.

How to use an Elliptical Cross-Trainer:

1) Grip the handles and position your feet on the pedals.

2) Push and pull the handles whilst coordinating the movement of your feet with the pedals.

3) To increase intensity or engage different muscle groups, adjust the resistance or pedal in reverse.

4) For an abdominal focus, release the handles and engage your core.

Remember, the elliptical cross-trainer is highly versatile. Based on your adjustments, it can be tailored to focus on different muscle groups, be it your thighs, core, or quads.

The exercise bike is a straightforward cardio machine that eschews complicated movements and is gentle on your joints due to the continuous, smooth pedalling motion. With varying resistance levels at your disposal, you can ramp up the intensity and efficiently burn calories, tailored to your fitness and objectives. Interval training is also effective on this machine; by pedalling vigorously in short bursts, you can elevate your calorie expenditure.

An exercise bike offers a splendid full-body cardio session whilst also building and toning muscles, notably your back and upper legs. It also engages your calf muscles and hips, all while elevating your heart rate.

How to use an Exercise Bike:

1) Sit on the widest part of the saddle, maintaining an erect spine. Refrain from leaning on the handlebars, keeping your feet flat and your head raised.

2) Establish a pace and resistance (between 1 and 4) that presents a challenge but doesn't exhaust you too quickly, especially for beginners.

3) Ensure you uphold good posture throughout.

4) Incorporate a 5-minute warm-up and cool-down, akin to using a treadmill.

A rowing machine targets several major muscle groups, such as the quadriceps, calves, glutes, pecs, arms, abdominal muscles, and obliques. Naturally, the rowing machine predominantly engages your leg muscles during the drive and push-off phases.

The rowing machine provides a low-impact exercise that effectively burns calories without putting undue stress on your joints, assisting you in building both power and endurance. This full-body workout is stellar for both cardiovascular and strength training.

How to use a Rowing Machine:

1) Grasp the handlebar with arms extended and knees bent.

2) Maintain a straight back and engage your core throughout.

3) Initiate the movement by pushing back with your legs, rolling through your feet.

4) Continue the push using your lower body.

5) Following the leg push, engage your upper back to pull the handlebar towards your chest.

6) Extend your arms back out and bend your knees to return to the starting position.

Stepper machines simulate the motion of climbing stairs, rotating steps similar to an elliptical machine. This workout is considered high-intensity as you’re engaging and toning your lower body muscles, including quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes. It is one of the best aerobic and low-impact workouts you can opt for to build stronger lungs and, therefore, endurance.

Stepper machines also allow you to burn calories effectively, upping your core muscle strength and lower body muscles.

How to use a Stepper Machine

1) Stand upright and avoid slouching, as this will overburden your lower back
2) Keep your knees mid-foot and flat on the pedal
3) Set the speed and resistance around 60 to 80 steps per p/m
4) Mount the stepper machine by placing your foot on the step at its lowest position and placing your weight on there first
5) Gently place your other foot on the pedal above
6) Push your weight into the top step and release the pressure on the lower step
6) Alternate and continue

Incorporating both cardiovascular training methods and strength training is essential for comprehensive results in all areas of fitness. Many of our aforementioned cardio training methods and machines offer a brilliant blend of the two, conserving both time and effort for swifter outcomes.

Ensure you incorporate cardio exercises on most days, with strength training constituting about a quarter of your routine, especially if weight loss is your primary objective.

Incorporating weights and, therefore, strength training into your workout routine will improve the following:

• Form
• Endurance
• Calorie burn
• Metabolism
• Strength

Strength training has been known to break through weight loss plates and is easily incorporated into your existing cardio training methods.

If you’re looking to build strength and put on muscle mass specifically, you might want to dedicate separate workouts for cardio and strength training, as this is likely to produce more significant muscle-building results.

Our suggested inclusive cardiovascular training method achieved with the elliptical trainer or exercise bike will improve endurance and power output. Still, the overall effect will differ from those training with weights separately. Check out our range of weights and gym equipment for strength training.