cardio exercise routies

Running

Running is a great choice for a variety of reasons:

 It doesn't require special equipment (except some quality shoes)

 You can do it just about anytime, anywhere

 It's high impact, which helps build strong bones and connective tissue

 It gets your heart rate up more quickly than low or no impact exercise

 It helps you burn serious calories, especially if you add hills, sprints or try interval training.

In fact, a 145-lb person can burn 300 calories by running at 5.2 mph for 30 minutes. The same person would burn about half of that with a brisk walk.  The downside is that it takes time to build the strength and stamina to run continuously and, because it's high impact, it may not work for every person.

Swimming

Swimming is another great choice because, like cross-country skiing, it's a full body exercise. The more body parts you involve in your workout, the more calories you'll burn. Spend 30 minutes doing the breastroke and you'll burn almost 400 calories. Best of all, your joints are fully supported so you don't have to worry about high-impact injuries. It's also great cross-training for other cardio activities.

Jumping Rope

Jumping rope is another calorie-scorcher and, as an added bonus, a jump rope packs easily in your suitcase, making it an excellent travel exercise.  A 145-lb person can burn a whopping 330 calories with a 30-minute workout, but you'll want to slowly work your way up to that.

Start by jumping for 1-2 minutes at a time, taking breaks by marching in place and swinging your rope in a figure eight motion.  Continue alternating for 10-20 minutes and, over time, gradually increase the amount of time you jump while decreasing your rests.  You can add variety by trying different foot patterns (jumping on one foot, scissor jumps, etc.).

http://exercise.about.com/od/cardioworkouts/tp/cardioexercise.htm