Cardio is one of the best types of workouts that you can do for yourself and your body – so much that 150 minutes of cardio exercise per week is recommended to reduce health risks. Cardio helps to burn fat, strengthen your heart, reduce your risk of health issues such as heart attacks and high blood pressure, reduce stress, and (is supposed to) just make you feel good.

For as long as I can remember – I have generally HATED cardio exercises and I’ve always preferred weight-lifting workouts over anything cardio. I despise running, no matter how hard I try to “teach” my body how to run. I don’t like using cardio machines and have never really understood the elliptical. I don’t have a high endurance when it comes to cardio type activities and I often find myself lightheaded from pushing myself too hard and spiking my heart rate too quickly. What I have liked are certain classes such as spin class and HIIT classes, but while I’m on the road, it is very hard to not only find classes but to make them work with my schedule. Also, drop in classes can be VERYYY expensive, especially in cities like San Francisco.

Over the last year or so, I’ve been very focused on my fitness and have found accountability for myself through Beachbody as I can commit myself to a program, which has a set schedule and videos that I can watch from my phone. It’s been especially great while traveling because there are a lot of workout options that I can do from wherever I am (hotel room, airport, fitness center, etc.). I kicked off my Beachbody journey with the 80 Day Obsession program in July and just completed Day 40 of this program for the second time! I love this program because it’s primarily weight-lifting (which is my preference) and includes a rigorous 6-days a week workout schedule, but there are two cardio days built each week. This program kick-started my latest fitness journey and has kept me going over time.

So why am I telling you all of this?

Because I have actually fallen in love with the “Cardio Core” workout each week in this program. I am not going to lie – I haven’t always liked it, but it’s grown on me over the several months that I’ve done it and now it’s actually one of my favorite workouts of the program and I feel so good when I finish it!

What is Cardio Core and why is it the best for other cardio haters?

Cardio Core is a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout that lasts anywhere from 32-40 minutes each week. The workouts are set up, in the same way, each week, but the moves are switched up every few weeks.

There are six sets comprised of three exercises – a cardio interval, a HIIT interval, and a core/ab exercise. Each set is 3 minutes long plus 10 reps of the core exercise. Within every 3 minutes, you alternate 30 seconds of the core interval and 30 seconds of the HIIT interval for the full 3 minutes (no breaks!) then immediately complete the core exercise. Once you have cycled through all six sets, you complete all six core exercises again as a core set.

I think this workout or type of workout is the best for those of us who don’t love cardio because the workouts are short, but high-intensity so you are still definitely working your butt off! The combinations of exercises are put together to increase your heart rate, work different parts of your body, and burn calories.

How can you access these awesome workouts?

Two options:

1. If you are a fairly independent person when it comes to exercising and working out and feel like you have a good handle on building workouts, consult the internet and build your own! There is no shortage of combination of workouts that can be put together!
2. If you are more like me and like to have someone tell you exactly what to do, Beachbody is one of the easiest tools to access and doesn’t break the bank. One of my favorite things about a Beachbody subscription is that I have access to all workouts and all programs on the app (not just my selected program) so I’ve been able to use other videos and programs to switch things up! If you’re interested in joining the Beachbody family, visit my site to shop or sign up for a free membership or you can reach out to me directly!

Last Thoughts…

It’s been really exciting for me to grow to like these workouts over time. One of the craziest things to me is seeing the progress in myself since making fitness such a priority! When I first started 80DO, I couldn’t do a pike to save my life (not on two legs and definitely not single leg) and now they are one of my favorite ab exercises to do! I still have to modify these workouts at times or take a break to let my heart rate come down, but I am still getting it done! I always finish looking like a HOT MESS but to me, that means I am working my ass off and that’s the most important part!

What are your favorite cardio exercises? I am always looking for new ways to switch it up and welcome all suggestions!