How to Create a Cardio Circuit Workout from a Deck of Cards

Want to spice up your workout with a little bit of fun? A cardio circuit plan can help you burn calories, lose weight, boost fitness and build muscles!

A circuit workout generally involves doing an exercise for a brief period of time and then moving quickly on to another exercise without stopping to rest. By interspersing cardio exercises with strength training moves, you can burn fat and build muscle at the same time!

Variety is the spice of life, however, and doing the same circuit workout over and over again can get boring for even the most dedicated exerciser. To keep things interesting, consider creating a cardio circuit workout from a simple deck of playing cards! Here's how to do it:

Step 1: Designate each suit as a particular exercise. For example, Hearts can be jumping jacks, Diamonds can be push-ups, Spades can be stomach crunches, and Clubs can be squats. You can choose other exercises if desired, but try and pick ones that will create a well-rounded workout of cardio, upper body moves and lower body exercises.

Step 2: Determine how many "reps" each number indicates. The easiest--and most random!--way is for each card's number to be the same number of "reps" you perform. For example, the six of Clubs means you will have to perform six squats. The ten of hearts means you will have to perform ten jumping jacks. Face cards can be given a number as a group--such as fifteen reps for all jacks, queens or kings. Alternatively, each face card can have its own number. Jacks can be eleven, queens can be twelve, and kings can be thirteen.

Step 3: Shuffle the deck. Shuffle the deck of playing cards completely and thoroughly to ensure a random workout. Place the deck face down on a table or chair.

Step 4: Draw the cards to decide on your circuit. Draw the top card and perform the exercise as required. For example, if you draw the nine of Spades, perform nine stomach crunches. As soon as you finish that set of exercises, draw another card and perform the next set of exercises as indicated by the card. Repeat until you've finished your workout.