Cardiovascular and Calisthenics

 Heart and lungs or musculature. Which is more important? training both are equally important in my opinion. Cardio trains the heart and lungs to deliver oxygen to the body and brain more efficiently. Calisthenics train the body through functional strength to operate more efficiently. 

Both exercise systems release endorphins. These are quite simply the feel good chemicals that can flood your brain. The training as well as the results bring positive feelings. 

There are nearly as many cardiovascular events you can undertake as there are muscular events. Training is often limited by your imagination. Some routines are an hour or more long while others are unbelievably short but promise massive changes.

You have limited time and almost no equipment. What are you supposed to do? You need something, a routine, that will hit your entire body as well as work your heart and lungs. What do you do? 

First, check with your doctor to make sure your body can handle what I’m suggesting. Always, doctor first. 

With that done you will do three exercises to hit your cardio and muscular systems. That’s it, three things. 

First, you will do a half mile to a mile of jogging/fast walking. Ideally this will take you to a park. If not, it should bring you back home to a pull-up bar. 

Once at the bar you are going to do a full body exercise. These are called Body Builders. You will do a Burpee, but with a pull-up or chin-up. These will work your full body including your abs to a degree. 

There are a large number of videos out there on how to do Burpees. Still, I can detail the exercises in them here.

1. squat down and put your hands on the ground or mat.
2. Kick your feet back so you are in a plank position. 
3. Do a push-up.
4. Quickly bring your feet back to your hands.
5. Jump up.
6. Grab a monkey bar or your pull-up bar and do either a chin-up or a pull-up. 
7. Repeat for as many repetitions as you can.
8. Do whatever abdominal exercise you prefer to failure

If you are just starting a physical routine expect to do three, four, or five of these. If you have been exercising and are trying this as a change you will likely do several more. 

How often are you to do this? Ideally, six days a week is your goal. If that is not possible due to your schedule or physical state do it three times a week. 

Stay with it. I do this as a daily morning routine. It’s the first thing I do when getting out of bed. There is a park and playground near my house so I jog and walk there and back. Using playground equipment saves me money on equipment and gym memberships. 

This is a simplistic, not easy, routine. It should not take that long. Depending upon how far you walk/jog and how many Body Builders you do your routine should not take more than 40 minutes. As your health improves and you get stronger you will do more repetitions. This, of course, will take longer. 

Do this for one month. One month will give you time to see changes in your routine and body. This will also make a habit out of the exercise time block. One month to feel and be healthier, four weeks. You can do that. 

Train hard and train safe.