Cardio, or cardiovascular, exercises have many benefits- they improve your general health and fitness, strengthen the heart and lungs and reduce the risk of developing diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. It can be difficult to find the time to exercise, and many of us do not have the time to go to a gym to workout regularly. Here are some ideas for cardio home exercises you can do without leaving your home;

Cardio exercises include those which raise your heart rate and leave you breathing slightly faster. They use the large muscle groups and are usually sustained for at least 20 minutes at a time for maximum benefits. If you can afford it, invest in some home exercise equipment. This includes stationary bikes, treadmills, steppers, elliptical machines and rowing machines. All of these will provide an excellent cardio workout and can even be used whilst watching your favorite shows. Buying a cardio machine can be expensive, so it may be cheaper to purchase a second hand machine or ask around family and friends- someone may have a piece of cardio equipment they no longer use.

Running on the treadmill, rowing, cycling or stepping can then be done in your own time or when the weather is too unpleasant to exercise outside. Many machines have built in features to vary your workout, such as an inclination function on the treadmill or difficulty settings. If you can, try out your chosen machine before you buy it to make sure you will feel comfortable using it.

It is possible to purchase cardio exercise and workout DVDs for home use. There is a vast array of aerobic workouts to choose from, so you should be able to find one that suits you. You may be able to borrow a selection from your library before making a purchase. For added fun, get a group of your friends round and have a group workout.

Mini trampolines can give a great cardio workout- bouncing gently up and down is fantastic fun and doesn’t even feel like exercise. They are fairly inexpensive and don’t take up much space. You can use your trampoline whenever you have a few minutes spare, or put the radio on and bounce to the beat!

Gaming consoles such as the Wii Fit has opened up a whole new way of working out. The Wii Fit will track your progress and fitness levels and is another fun way of exercising. Make sure you choose the cardio based activities, such as running, jumping or aerobics.

If you are on a budget, there are some cardio home exercises you can do without any equipment at all. When you have some free time, such as watching television, jump up and down or jog on the spot- start doing this for 5 minutes and gradually increase this as you become fitter. You can add variations such as lifting your knee towards your chest whilst you jog, or incorporating some star jumps. Alternatively, put on your favorite tunes and dance away!

With a little investment or ingenuity, you can easily incorporate cardio home exercises into your daily routine.