- Stand with feet about hip-width apart and squat to the floor, placing your hands on the floor in front of you.
- In an explosive movement, jump the feet out behind you so that you're in a pushup position, on the hands and toes with the body in a straight line.
- Immediately jump the feet back to start, stand up and repeat for 10-15 reps or for 30-60 seconds.
- Add these squat thrusts to your usual workout for a high intensity burst or put them together with other cardio moves for a short, intense workout.
Cardio Exercises for Home Workouts
By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide
Updated August 27, 2009
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board
Squats thrusts, (a.k.a., burpees), are an exercise many of us may remember vividly from high school gym glass. This tough exercise is so memorable because it works the entire body and gets the heart rate up in a very short period of time. The move is simple, but very challenging on the heart, lungs and the body. It's a great move to add to your regular cardio workouts to add intensity and to work on your power, agility and endurance.
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