Boost your energy with this beginner-friendly full-body cardio workout—no jumping or equipment needed

When I’m feeling tired, exercise is often the last thing I feel like doing. But it’s at those times that a quick cardio workout can give me a much-needed energy boost.

That doesn’t mean jumping around to work up a sweat. I haven’t been a fan of high-impact workouts since having children—my pelvic floor isn’t what it was—and my knees don’t appreciate the extra strain either.

Instead, I turn to the low-impact workout below. Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s easy simply because there’s no jumping. In just 15 minutes, it works your whole body, raises your heart rate and can leave you feeling more energized.

15-minute low-impact cardio workout overview

1. Standing abs crunch
2. Squat tap
3. Standing double crunch
4. Step jack
5. Squat to calf raise

How to do this workout

Perform this workout as a circuit, performing each exercise for 40 seconds, one after the other, to complete one round. Rest for 15 seconds between exercises and for one minute between rounds.

Complete three sets of the five exercises—40 seconds per exercise, 15 seconds rest between exercises and one minute rest between sets.

How to do the exercises

1. Standing abs crunch

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms raised overhead.
• Engage your core.
• Raise and bend your right knee towards your chest as you bring your arms down, bending your elbows so they finish either side of your right knee, making sure you don’t arch your back.
• Reverse the movements to the start.
• Repeat the movement with your left knee, alternating knees with each rep.

2. Squat tap

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet close together and engage your core.
• Take a big step out to your right, then push your hips back and bend your knees to lower, leaning forward and tapping the floor with your hands.
• Reverse the movements to the start then repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

3. Standing double crunch

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your hands behind your head and your elbows pointing out to the side.
• Twist your torso to the left and lift and bend your left knee to bring your right elbow and left knee together.
• Return to the starting position.
• Bend your torso to the right and lift and bend your right knee out to the right to bring your right elbow and right knee together.
• Return to the starting position.
• Repeat the above movements on the other side.

4. Step jack

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet close together and your arms by your sides, palms facing forward.
• Step your right foot out to the side as you raise both arms out to the side and overhead, keeping a slight bend in your elbows.
• Reverse the movements back to the start.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

5. Squat to calf raise

Time: 40sec Rest: 15sec

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Engage your core.
• Push your hips back and bend your knees to lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Push through your feet to stand upright and rise onto your toes.
• Pause, then lower your heels to the floor and go straight into the next rep.