Creative Cardio Substitutions

How do you keep up your fitness when you don’t have access to cardio equipment and you’re sick of running?

Or maybe you have a rower. But now that the weather’s turned you can’t run outside…so it’s been rowing, rowing, and more rowing for the last 19 days. Looking to mix up your cardio?

Don’t worry, you have options.

The Indoor Cardio Conundrum

It could be the rain or snow that’s limiting you. Or your limiter could be that you live on the 5th floor of an apartment building. These are real world restrictions…but they don’t have to keep you from training effectively.

Knowing how to confidently modify and scale functional fitness workouts is an essential skill for keeping up your training even when the circumstances aren’t ideal.

Do you know what to do when when you see that 3 round workout includes an 800 meter Run, but you need an alternative cardio option?

Cardio Solutions

You might not have all the “toys” (Rower, SkiErg, AirBike, BikeErg, Bicycle, Treadmill, Pool, etc) but your home environment is still packed with opportunities for effective cardio.

If you do have multiple cardio machines, you can obviously rotate among them. But there will inevitably be times in your training life when you don’t have all those options with you.

So, here are some of our favorite indoor substitutes that can get your heart rate up with limited space and limited equipment:

• Alternating Lunges or Alternating Jumping Lunges (higher intensity)
• Air Squats or Jumping Squats (higher intensity)
• Jump Rope (Single- or Double-Unders or Crossovers)
  Or Double Taps if you don’t have a jump rope
• Burpees
  Or No Push-Up Burpees (lower intensity)
• Shuttle Runs: Turn your hallway or garage space into an awesome track for a limited-space cardio option.
• Stair Running: If you have access to stairs or a stairwell, you’ve got a top-notch cardio tool at your disposal.

Each option can be scaled up or down to meet your fitness level, space constraints, and desired intensity to give you one less excuse to skip cardio.

Conversion Smarts

Sometimes, the hardest part of indoor training is knowing how to equivalently replace the standard (Rx) running or rowing distance.

That’s where our conversion charts come in, helping you understand how many Shuttle Runs you should do as a sub for that 800-meter Run, or how many Single-Unders to do for that 500 meter Row:

Check out the conversion tips at wodwell.com/convert

Beyond the Substitute

Adjusting your workout isn’t just about swapping one exercise for another — it’s about knowing how to pivot so you can maintain training efficacy even when the environment isn’t ideal.

This adaptability not only keeps your routine fresh but also give you the option to challenge yourself in new and novel ways and find the reward in flexing your fitness regime.

Got other good cardio subs we should know about? Drop us a line or share your experiences in our community forum!

Stay active,

Lisa & Jeremy
WODwell | Co-Creators

P.S. We’re committed to making functional fitness accessible everywhere, regardless of your access to equipment or a gym. That’s why we’ve built AI tools that help athletes scale and modify workouts for your needs. It’s also why we include “no equipment” and “dumbbell only” scaling options each in our daily training programs — to ensure everyone can stay fit, from anywhere.