Do you want to do cardio but the weather outside is frightful? Or you don’t have access to a treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, or other cardio equipment? Does having to drive to a gym and be around other exercising humans sound too undesirable at the moment? Do you wish that you had an effective form of cardio that you can do just about anywhere? Then look no further than Tabata.
The Cleveland Clinic describes Tabata as “a form of high-intensity interval training” that “breaks a workout down into clearly defined intervals – typically, 20 seconds of a push-it-to-the-limit exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest.” There is some ongoing discussion about the differences between Tabata and more formalized high-intensity interval training (HIIT), with exercise physiologist Katie Lawton, MEd pointing out that “Tabata is basically a higher intensity version of HIIT, with shorter and more rigidly defined workouts. HIIT routines offer you a bit more flexibility.”
Tabata videos can be easily found on YouTube and come in different durations, from 2 minutes to tens of minutes. Most require no equipment and can be done in a living room or similar space. Different Tabata routines can emphasize different muscle groups.
Below are some examples to try out. Start with the shorter routines and work your way up to the longer ones. Look for other Tabata videos on YouTube to find ones that fit your needs. I will also add that even when you are doing the longer videos if you can’t do every single second of the video, take additional breaks and get back at it as you can. Some Tabata is better than no Tabata!
2-Minute Beginner Tabata
4-Minute Tabata
8-Minute Tabata
Ab-Focused Tabata
Leg-Focused Tabata
Upper Body-Focused Tabata
***
Disclaimer: The contents of this article and this website are not meant to substitute for the professional advice of a doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer. This content is provided as an educational tool to help people on their fitness journeys. While we strive to research topics as much as possible and provide useful and accurate information to the best of our abilities, we also strongly recommend talking to your doctor, nutritionist, and/or certified personal trainer before starting any workout, therapeutic, or nutritional regimen, as each individual’s needs and situations vary depending on the person.