Aerobic exercise belongs in everyone's life. It:
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conditions the heart and lungs to use oxygen more efficiently,
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helps control body fat,
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improves resistance to fatigue,
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helps you sleep better,
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helps tone muscles and increase lean body mass and
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improves general stamina and energy while
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reducing tension, depression and anxiety.
Aerobic exercise uses large muscle groups rhythmically and continuously and increases the heart rate and breathing for a sustained period.
Aerobic means with air or oxygen. You should be able to carry on a short conversation while doing aerobic exercise. If you are gasping for air while talking you are probably working anaerobically. When you work anaerobically you will tire faster and are more likely to experience sore muscles after exercise is over.
Aerobic activity is long in duration yet low in intensity. Aerobic activities include: walking, biking, jogging, swimming, rowing, skating, skipping a rope, stair climbing, and aerobic classes.
Depending on how fit you are, 30 minutes every other day would be a good goal. You don't have to do it all at once, 10 minutes three times a day works just as well as one 30-minute session.
As you improve your fitness you can increase the intensity and if you're really keen you can also increase the duration.
It's important to be as consistent as you can but don't worry about missing the odd day - 80% effort will give you 90% results.
It's a good idea to 'cross train' - that is vary the aerobic exercises you do. This way you reduce the risk of overuse injury, give different muscle groups a workout, and are less likely to get bored.
Because it's often very repetitive you can also reduce boredom by listening to music, reading, watching TV or chatting to a friend.
Warm-up and cool down are essential to reduce discomfort and the chance of injury. Warm up (and cool down) by performing the exercise at a very low intensity for 2-10 minutes. It is not OK to stop suddenly - you run the risk of muscle cramping and getting dizzy and/or passing out if you stop without cooling down.
Once you've hit your target intensity it is important to maintain that level for the session - this consistency is best for working the heart muscle and burning kilojoules.
You might like to record your progress - it's a good way to see at a glance how far you've come and will help keep you interested and motivated.
The easiest way to monitor intensity is the "talk test": you should be able to talk comfortably while you are exercising (this test is very good to keep you from working too hard). If in doubt, go easier, shorter and slower and enjoy yourself.
Fit for marriage - Introduction +click here
Fit for marriage - Upper body +click here
Fit for marriage - Abdominals +click here
Fit for marriage - Lower body +click here
Fit for marriage - Aerobic +click here
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