20 Cardio and HIIT Exercises to Try at Home (Beginner, Intermediate, & Advanced)

Looking for workout systems and advice for women, especially expectant and new moms, and the elderly? Here’s a look at 10 cardio and HIIT Exercises that would be ideal to meet your workout needs exactly.

Cardiovascular exercise, or cardio, can empower body endurance. Alternatively, High-intensity Interval Training (HIIT) generally involves intense exercises that can be alternated with recovery periods. These boost your fat burning and your cardiovascular fitness. On that basis, here are 10 exercises that you can try at home.

Cardio and HIIT exercise improve cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risks of heart disease. These help in lowering insulin and blood sugar levels, and reduce risks regarding chronic diseases, such as stroke, blood clots, and cancers. However, as HIIT exercises and cardio do not require any equipment, you can do them at home.

A study conducted in 2024, based on college students, shows that 12.71% of male students experience the loss of body fat, while in cases of female students,  it increased to 14.61%. This shows the need for exercising, and doing cardio and HIIT exercises can help individuals get the body that they want.

In this blog, there are going to be three categories according to which exercises will be divided: for beginners, for intermediate-level individuals, and for experts.

Why Choose Cardio and HIIT?

Before we start, why should you choose cardio and HIIT exercises? Choosing cardio is for consistent and time-efficient health benefits. On the other hand, a HIIT workout is good for high-intensity calorie burn, along with intense fat burning and performance improvements.

Now, since both have similar benefits, why not incorporate a mix of both in your overall workout plan? Many would choose to incorporate both to derive the most benefits. A sample plan of this can include a 5-day plan where you combine 3 HIIT sessions with 2 steady-state cardio sessions.

And this can be an extremely suitable HIIT workout weekly plan with 5 days of a complete workout routine and 2 days of rest, ensuring accountability and recovery.

Based on that, let’s look into a combination of 10 cardio and HIIT exercises to participate in, especially if you are a woman or an elderly person.

Beginner-Friendly Cardio & HIIT

Here are some of the key cardio and HIIT workouts that you can easily try at home.

Let’s start with the beginner level. For women, especially in pre- and postpartum stages, and for the elderly, there are some restrictions to maintain. This is true due to doctor-assigned restrictions and certain medical conditions.

So, whether it be cardio exercises or HIIT exercises, when you are starting, it is best to stick to the beginner-level options. And some of the most suitable beginner options include:

1. Jumping Jacks

• HIIT jumping jacks refer to performing modified or standard jumping jacks for short bursts, followed by a small recovery period to burn calories and boost cardiovascular fitness.
• Jumping Jacks are quite beginner-friendly cardio exercises, which require no equipment and can be done anywhere. It increases the heart rate quickly, which further makes them more effective in improving the overall body stamina and cardiovascular endurance.
• For beginners, these provide simpler ways to engage several muscle groups, including arms, legs, and core.
• The versatility of Jumping jacks has made them ideal for quick workouts, warm-ups, and integrating into a full-body training, which can be great options to boost heart rate.

2. High Knees (Slow Pace)

• Slow high knees begin with standing upright, followed by bending the knee towards the chest, swinging the opposite arm, alternating arms at a steady level at a controlled pace.
• It strengthens the lungs and heart and improves the lower body strength, based on hamstrings, glutes, and quadriceps.
• It stabilizes the abdominal muscles, such as transverse abdominis and obliques, empowering core stability and strength.
• It helps boost lean muscle mass, leading to an increased metabolism rate, burning more fat and calories.
• Alternating arm and leg movements help to improve coordination and balance, which is beneficial for older and sick adults.

3. Marching in Place

• To march in place, you need to stand on your feet, lift a knee towards your chest and lower it, and lower the first one while lifting the opposite one.
• The alternative movements of arms and legs in this high-intensity workout help to develop muscles, empowering balance, and are mostly beneficial for older adults.
• It ensures better cardiovascular health, since putting stress on joints improves the cardiovascular system.
• Apart from effective blood flow, this HIIT workout strengthens hips and legs, highly effective for both young and older adults.
• It easily fits the HIIT workout weekly plan of a beginner, and you can perform the exercise at home easily.

4. Modified Burpees (No Push-Up or Jump)

• Modified burpees are performed by stepping, squatting, or walking on one foot at a time, while in some cases they are done by pushing up on knees, stepping back, and standing tall, without jumping.
• The high-intensity workout is easier since it does not require any equipment, and it is a full-body workout, focusing on major muscle groups.
• It also improves cardiovascular endurance and health by elevating heart rate and enhancing cardiovascular fitness.
• It is customizable in nature, as you can adjust it based on your fitness level.

Additional and Specific Beginner-Level Cardio and HIIT Exercises

5. Bodyweight Squats

Bodyweight squats are safe and effective for building lower-body and core strength. And this HIIT workout is strongly recommended for women in postpartum stages. It can be extremely helpful in strengthening their pelvic floor, lower body, and core, further improving bladder control and reducing back and hip pain.

6. Walking

Walking can also be an excellent postpartum cardio option, which can be started gradually, especially in the initial stages, and can help improve fitness and aid in weight loss. You can begin with short and slow walks, and listen to your body as you slowly level up.

7. Step-Ups

Step-ups can be great HIIT options during pregnancy, but exercise caution and adjust based on your trimester. However, it is important that when you work on it you hold onto a wall or a railing for support. And then, with progress, you slowly start to do step-ups without support.

8. Stationary Cycling

Looking for a good beginner cardio option for the elderly? An appropriate choice will be stationary cycling. It can be considered a holistic approach as it helps you work out every muscle in your body. And it is also a lightweight exercise that can be effective in strengthening your core in the early stages.

Intermediate Cardio & HIIT

Here you can find some intermediate cardio and HIIT exercises that you can try at home easily.

9. Standard Burpees

• A standard burpee refers to a full-body workout, combining planks, squats, and vertical jumps continuously, providing a strength and cardio workout, which can be done anywhere.
• The high-intensity and fast-paced workout enhances heart rate like other exercises, boosting strength and stamina.
• Apart from fat and calorie burning, it empowers the lower body strength and ensures a better cardiovascular system in young adults, enhancing their agility significantly.
• With a full-body movement, it brings more intensity and improves strength and coordination.

10. Mountain Climbers

• It is mostly a bodyweight exercise, moving into a high plank position. Pump your knees towards your chest by alternating legs.
• It is a core-focused cardio, and for intensity, you can adjust the pace according to your fitness.
• Since it has a low-impact movement, it can be easily adopted by people of different ages easily and does not need any equipment.

11. Jump Squats

• Jump squats are a plyometric and dynamic exercise, combining explosive jumps and traditional squats to improve body flexibility and lower-body strength.
• This calorie-burning exercise increases muscle power through muscular hypertrophy, which helps athletes to improve their performance.
• At the same time, it works in multiple muscle groups, improving body balance and coordination, ensuring body fitness and strength.

Additional and Specific Intermediate Level Cardio and HIIT Exercises

Other than the ranked exercises, let’s now look into some intermediate-level cardio and HIIT exercises that are suitable based on your pre-, postpartum, and aging needs. These include:

12. Reverse Lunges

The assisted reverse lunge as an HIIT exercise is recommended during the second trimester as a great way to continue to strengthen unilaterally, as it helps you be mindful of your prenatal body’s needs. Moreover, in the third trimester, labor preparation-focused reverse lunges can be incorporated. 

13. Swimming

Swimming can be a low-impact cardio exercise for the elderly, as it is gentle on the joints, but can be extremely useful against conditions such as arthritis. It can also improve cardiovascular strength and can work as a strength exercise, alongside improving flexibility and balance. 

14. Side Planks

Side planks can be beneficial postpartum HIIT exercises and are beneficial for the overall postpartum recovery. For the full benefits of side planks in the postpartum stage, you can go for a modified side plank with knee support. While an intermediate-level exercise, it can still be practiced by mothers after a C-section incision. However, it is recommended that they stop immediately when they feel any form of pain. 

Advanced Cardio & HIIT

Here are some advanced-level cardio and HIIT workouts that you can easily perform at home without any equipment.

15. Tuck Jumps

• It is a high-impact, advanced plyometric exercise that ensures body strength and coordination, enhancing body flexibility for athletes.
• You can start with a squat position, then jump explosively as high as possible and bringing the knees to your chest.
• It empowers fast-twitched muscle activation, improving coordination for athletes and improving their performance, especially in sports like football and basketball.
  

16. Plyometric Push-Ups

• Plyometric push-ups refer to an advanced upper-body exercise, where you need to push off the floor, lifting your hands off the ground.
• It generates strength and power in the shoulders, triceps, and chest.
• It ensures better muscle activation, ensuring advanced fitness and cardiovascular health.
• It generates maximum force in a minimum time period, enhancing neuromuscular coordination and efficiency.
  

17. Burpee with Push-Up and Jump

• Since high-intensity workouts at home do not require any sort of equipment, you can easily perform them according to your fitness level.
• The aerobic and explosive nature of the burpee empowers stamina and heart health, while the combined movement can build strong power in the lower body.
• It empowers everyday activities by ensuring a better functional strength, also leading to individual efficiency and ease.

Additional and Specific Advanced Level Cardio and HIIT Exercises

Apart from the exercises already ranked, let’s now look into some advanced-level cardio and HIIT exercises that are suitable based on your pre-, postpartum, and ageing needs. These include:

18. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers can offer a gentle and yet effective alternative to floor exercises for seniors, especially ones with limited mobility. Such exercises can engage the core, arms, and legs, while also promoting strength, stability, and improving balance.. 

19. Jumping Jacks

Jumping Jacks are exercises that should be considered high-impact exercises. This means that they can only be allowed to women in their postpartum stage in the advanced stage, which is at least after 10 or 12 weeks. However, it is essentially dependent on the clearance of your doctor. However, it is a perfect cardio exercise to address your core and regain strength in the postpartum stage. 

20. Boxing Jumps

This is an HIIT exercise that is often recommended to women in their postpartum stages. This HIIT exercise, however, should not be recommended to women who have undergone C-section incisions. Thus, it is specific to natural birth cases. Once your pelvic core has recovered to the correct extent in the post-childbirth stage, you can participate in this exercise. It can be considered an extensive, holistic treatment for your recovery.

A Revision of the 20 Cardio and HIIT Exercises Ranked

In this section, we will take another look at the 10 exercises that have been ranked in this list of the 10 cardio and HIIT exercises at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. However, this list will not look at the additional 10 cardio and HIIT exercises mentioned that are specifically discussed with a focus on pre- and post-pregnancy stage women and the elderly. That will be in a separate chart. 

Take a look at the table for a comprehensive idea:

Level	Exercise	Sets × Reps/Time	Focus/Benefit
Beginner	Jumping Jacks	30 sec × 3 sets	Warm-up, cardio
	High Knees (Slow Pace)	20 reps each leg × 3 sets	Stamina, mobility
	Marching in Place	2–3 mins continuous	Low-impact cardio
	Modified Burpees (No push-up/jump)	8–10 reps × 3 sets	Full-body intro
Intermediate	Standard Burpees	10–12 reps × 3 sets	Strength and  cardio
	Mountain Climbers	30–40 sec × 3 sets	Core, endurance
	Jump Squats	12–15 reps × 3 sets	Lower body, power
Advanced	Tuck Jumps	10–12 reps × 3 sets	Plyometric, cardio
	Plyometric Push-Ups	8–10 reps × 3 sets	Upper body power
	Burpee (Push-Up and Jump)	8–12 reps × 3 sets	Total body HIIT

Table 1: Cardio and HIIT Exercises at Different Levels

Now, let’s look into the chart for the additional and specific exercises:

Level	Exercise	Sets × Reps/Time	Important For
Beginner	Bodyweight Squats	10-15 × 3 sets	Postpartum Women
	Walking	10-15 minutes	Postpartum Women
	Step-Ups	8-10 minutes x 3 sets	Prenatal Women
	Stationary Cycling	5-10 minutes	The Elderly
Intermediate	Reverse Lunges	10–12 reps × 3 sets	Prenatal Women
	Swimming	10-12 minutes	The Elderly
	Side Planks	Stop when you feel pain or cannot hold on	Postpartum Women
Advanced	Mountain Climbers	10–12 reps × 3 sets	The Elderly
	Jumping Jacks	8–10 reps × 3 sets	Postpartum Women
	Box Jumps	8–12 reps × 3 sets	Postpartum Women

Table 2: Cardio and HIIT Exercises at Different Levels for Specific Conditions

Why Choose Cardio and HIIT Based on Pregnancy and Age Conditions?

The workout routine of regular people often differs from that of pre- and post-childbirth women and that of senior citizens. Their workout goals are also different. That is why you must consider your condition  

Summary

The cardio and HIIT exercises we talked about build a foundation for beginners, while for intermediates, it enhance intensity and strength. At the advanced level, you can maximize calorie burn and push limits based on your fitness and ability. However, you can also take some expert advice before starting your workouts.

Thus, your workout plan can be designed specifically based on when you have consulted a healthcare provider before changing your fitness regimen, especially when you are pregnant or if you are aging. In this case, proper exercise planning will require your motivation for recovery, and your consistency is expected.

Frequently Asked Questions