What You Should Know about Aerobics
March 31, 2009
Aerobics refers to a specific type of exercise. It comes from the medical term, aerobic, which means “in the presence of oxygen”. Any form of physical exercise that requires the body to use oxygen in a continuous, rhythmic manner complies with the terms of aerobics. Examples of such exercises include walking, running, bicycle riding, and anything else that works the large muscle groups.
There are two kinds of aerobic exercise: low-impact and high-impact. Low impact aerobic exercises are moderate in pace and do not have a lot of impact on your body. These exercises include walking, bike riding and rowing. High impact aerobic exercises have more of an impact on the body. They include running, jumping jacks and climbing. People that are new to exercise, are older, have injuries, or women that are pregnant should stick with low impact aerobic exercises.
While the act of aerobic exercise may seem monotonous, there are many variants to the routines that can make it exciting. Some of the newest forms of aerobic exercise are group dancing classes. The hottest class right now is a Latin dance class called Zumba.
Kickboxing is another exciting aerobic workout. It combines aerobic moves with martial arts exercises.
You can also jazz up your aerobic routine by taking a water aerobics class. These classes incorporate all of the activities that you do on land such as kicking, knee lifts and jumping jacks.
By starting an aerobics routine you can drastically change your level of fitness. When your fitness levels increase your body burns more calories. Your muscle groups are working hard and using a lot of oxygen.
Based on research performed by the American College of Sports Medicine, people who participated in twenty minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week increased their fitness levels. During the study, subjects’ heart rates reached sixty percent of the maximum heart rate.
Aerobic activity also increases the body’s metabolic rate. The speed of your metabolism is based on several factors including your age, your sex, the amount of muscle you have in your body as compared to the amount of fat, and your physical activity level. With the help of aerobic activity, you can build more lean muscle; increase your metabolism and burn more fat.
In conclusion, it is important to add at least twenty minutes of aerobic activity at least three times a week to your normal daily routine. Aerobics benefits both those that are overweight and those that are just looking to maintain their weight. If you are looking to lose weight, increase your aerobic activity to thirty minutes a day for five days a week.


























