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As health professionals at Livingston Plastic Surgery, we could give you an enormous list of reasons to do more cardio exercise. Beyond the well-known benefits of burning calories, increased heart health, and stronger muscles, exercise that keeps your heart rate in the target heart rate zone is also great for your mood, appetite, and sleep quality. Cardio workouts are among the best ways to burn calories and fat, which might be really important to you if you’re on a mission to get healthier and closer to your ideal weight for plastic surgery.

Being close to your ideal weight tends to give you the best long-term results from plastic surgery, but it can be a challenge for a multitude of reasons. This post is for those of you struggling with the issue of space and fitness. Here are our top 10 cardio workouts for apartment-sized living areas.

Warm Up – Mountain Climbers

Every cardio workout should begin with at least a 10-minute warmup to get your heart rate elevated and muscles warmed up. An excellent warmup exercise for small spaces is the mountain climber. Start in the push-up position and alternate raising your knees to your chest, almost as if you’re jogging. Adjust the intensity as much as necessary so that it’s challenging, but not overwhelming.

Warm Up – Jumping Jacks

This may not be the best if you don’t live on the ground floor or have thin floors, but jumping jacks are a wonderful aerobic exercise to get your blood pumping.

Warm Up – Butt Kicker

Another exercise you can throw in your warmup mix is the butt kicker. To do this exercise, all you have to do is jog, but make sure to kick your heels up a little harder so they touch your glutes. This is a great one to warm-up your thighs.

Warm Up – Jog in Place

To round out your warmup and kick your heart rate into the cardio zone, begin jogging in place for a few minutes. If you’re just getting started with your workouts, you might start off with a combination of these first four warmup exercises. You can do a minute or two of each and keep rotating through them until you feel like you’ve got a good workout. You can scale up by adding a little more time to the exercises gradually.

Lower Body – Lunges

Lunges are an effective workout for your legs and core, and they’re suitable for apartments and small living spaces. Stand with your feet together. Step forward and dip your hips. Lower yourself and try to keep the thigh that’s forward parallel to the ground. Step off with that leg and push forward. Alternate your steps. This can be a challenging one for beginners, but don’t lose confidence!

Glutes – Body Weight Squats

This is an awesome exercise to make your buttocks firmer and strengthen your core. Stand with your feet slightly apart. Some people hold their hands together in front of them for balance. Act as if you’re taking a seat until your thighs are just about parallel to the floor, and then raise yourself up, keeping your back straight the whole time.

Core – Planks

Planks are powerful because they work out your belly without any equipment or causing any racket to disturb your neighbors. All you have to do is lay on your stomach and raise yourself up, so your body weight is resting on your elbows. You should quickly feel your core engage. Try holding it for about 45 seconds to a minute.

Obliques – Side Planks

Another kind of plank exercise, side planks target your oblique muscles. Lay on your side and lift yourself up so your body weight rests on your elbow. Try holding it for about 30 seconds. Your oblique muscles aren’t quite as big of a muscle group as the one engaged by regular planks, so side planks should feel slightly harder. Alternate sides for a complete set.

Core – Torso Twists

Another core exercise, torso twists are simple and low impact. Interlace your fingers and hold them behind your head. Raise your left knee, and almost do a crunch while trying to touch it to your right elbow. Alternate sides to complete a rep.

Cooldown – Stretch

To avoid injury, make sure you spend about 10 minutes doing a cool down, and stretch after you’re done with your workout. It will give your heart rate a chance to return to normal and give your body the best chance at recovery. Try to hold your stretches for at least 15 seconds.

Want to Learn More About Your Cosmetic Surgery Options?

These workouts are tough, so take your time if you’ve never done them before. We believe in you! Exercising is also a fantastic way to prepare for breast augmentations, mommy makeovers, and many other types of cosmetic surgery. If you are interested, talk to one of Houston’s top plastic surgeons, Dr. Christopher K. Livingston. Please contact our practice for a one-on-one consultation or call Livingston Plastic Surgery in Houston, TX, at (281) 501-1812 today!