Over 60? This eight-move cardio workout is a joint-friendly way to build muscle

Elevate your heart rate and maintain strength with this short, low-impact routine

Man holding a plank
(Image credit: Getty Images)

It's not always easy to stay active as we age. Family commitments, work responsibilities, and changes to our bodies combine to make workouts challenging. Fortunately, this short, low-impact, eight-move routine is kind to your joints and easily fits into your schedule.

Although this session doesn't put much stress on your joints, it's worth adding the best supplements for joints into your diet if you do suffer from long-term pain. This can help ease discomfort and make moving around much more enjoyable.

And if you feel more comfortable, you're more likely to make any fitness routine a regular habit. That's important as we get older since exercise is an effective way to maintain muscle and look after our hearts.

Cardio exercise, like this routine from fitness trainer Kayla Itsines, is designed to increase your heart rate and improve your cardiovascular health, leading to fewer medical problems later in life.

You don't have to spend hours in the gym either, as the session is just eight moves and takes only eight minutes to get your heart racing. When you're ready to give it a go, all you need is one of the best yoga mats underfoot as a comfortable base.

Watch Kayla Itsines' eight-move cardio workout

The workout is split into two rounds. For the first, you do each of the four moves for 30 seconds and then repeat the round. It's the same deal for the second lot, so you'll do each exercise for a minute in total.

It's an exciting routine because many associate cardio exercise with outdoor runs or long treadmill sessions. But this workout focuses on strength-building cardio moves like squats, mountain climbers, and lunges.

Whether you're new to these activities or you want a refresher, Itsines demonstrates each of the moves so you can perfect your form and avoid injury. If you're going to give the routine a try yourself, we've listed all the exercises you need below.

Kayla Itsines' cardio workout moves

  • Squat and reach
  • Standing X crunch
  • Lateral lunge
  • Mountain climbers
  • Commando
  • Bent-leg sit-up and reach
  • X plank
  • Russian twist

Exercise programs like this are ideal for at-home workouts whenever you have a spare 10 minutes as they don't need any equipment. And while you could train in any comfortable sports shoes, it's worth picking up a pair of the best cross training shoes.

These are designed to assist you in multiple exercises and have additional support around your ankle to help you avoid injury when switching quickly between moves, as in this routine and many other short High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts.

James Frew
Fitness Editor

James is a London-based journalist and Fitness Editor at Fit&Well. He has over five years experience in fitness tech, including time spent as the Buyer’s Guide Editor and Staff Writer at technology publication MakeUseOf. In 2014 he was diagnosed with a chronic health condition, which spurred his interest in health, fitness, and lifestyle management.

In the years since, he has become a devoted meditator, experimented with workout styles and exercises, and used various gadgets to monitor his health. In recent times, James has been absorbed by the intersection between mental health, fitness, sustainability, and environmentalism. When not concerning himself with health and technology, James can be found excitedly checking out each week’s New Music Friday releases.