AEROBICS: Your Way To Fun & Fitness

By Shilpi Shukla Alexander

Is 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise the magic bullet you’ve been looking for? With benefits ranging from heart disease prevention to stress reduction, it’s one of the best things you can do for your health…

If you have a hard time exercising, but wish to have a beautiful body, that you can flaunt, then the perfect idea to keep yourself in shape is to have an aerobic workout…

Read further to explore the various benefits of this enjoyable exercise…

Aerobic dance and beyond…

For those of you who thought aerobics was all about dancing, here’s a check… Aerobic exercise is a moderate intensity workout that extends over a certain period of time and uses oxygen in the process. So there are not one but many kinds of aerobic exercises… Here they go…: There are different types of aerobics like fitness walking, jogging, swimming, kickboxing, fitness walking, skiing, inline skating, bicycling, ‘aerobic dancing’ and more.

In line skating or rollerblading is one of the most popular sports that are luring millions of people into trying it. It helps to strengthen lower back and works a great deal in enhancing cardiovascular development. Kickboxing is extremely useful for quick weight loss, as it helps in burning about 350-450 calories during a 50-minute workout session. At the initial level, kickboxing consists of some basic stretches and cardio warm up. But as one proceeds to advanced levels, punches, hand strikes and kicks are incorporated.
If you are among the types, who always tend to escape from exercising, then the right aerobic type for you is fitness walking. You can start off your walking program from a 10-minute stroll and then gradually increase your level. In later stages, when you have built up your stamina for a higher intensity workout, then you can go in for jogging. For the summer season, swimming acts as an excellent way to overcome the scorching heat.

Shake your body… stay fit: Dance aerobics is the most famous form of aerobics. The craze for this dance_cum_exercise is such that it has become quite synonymous with dancing itself. Aerobic dance steps are actually a blend of distinctive dance forms like jazz, disco and ballet. It’s best for those who love to dance. So why not use hobby to keep one fit and healthy.

Aerobic versus Anaerobic Exercises

Most of us are unaware as to what is the actual difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Well, it is interesting to look into the difference…

“Aerobic exercise is an energetic form of physical activity that fastens your heartbeat to about 65 per cent of the maximum rate. This exercise is performed for a period of time extending up to say at least 20 minutes. Well, the functioning of aerobics begins with the burning of stored sugars and gradually it attacks on the fats that are stored in the body,” explains Shelly D’Souza, a fitness expert.
She adds, “On the contrary, anaerobic exercise takes place in quick span of time and includes activities like sprinting, weight lifting etc. Basically, activities that rely on brief or discontinuous bursts of energy are called anaerobic (without oxygen). They help in strengthening muscles and joints.”
If you are just a beginner, you should better get started with aerobic exercises rather than anaerobic exercises, so as to ensure an overall fitness.

Attire to un-tire

A perfect attire to carry out your aerobic session, enables you prolong your endurance for the exercise, without feeling tired or drained. Firstly, it should be loose fit, so that there is adequate provision for free flow of air and unrestrained body movement.

It is preferable to wear light color clothing in summer season, as it absorbs heat and also it gives a cool feeling to beat the scorching heat. “Whether its summer time or the time of chilly winds, it is advisable to wear some sort of hat or cap over the head, so that you can cope up better with the climatic conditions. You should avoid wearing plastic or rubberised clothing, because such clothes are likely to cause a rise in your body temperature, which can be hazardous,” says aerobics trainer Suzanne Alex.
Prefer attiring several light layers of clothing, rather than going in for one heavy cloth layer. The clothing layer touching your skin should be moisture absorbent. T-shirts or sweatshirts teamed with tights or drawstring pants serve as the perfect clothing for aerobic workout.

Shoes: Aerobic performance encompasses of quick lateral movements with lots of jumping and leaping for a particular period, so it becomes all the more necessary to take proper care of your feet.

Don’t mix up running shoes with aerobic shoes, because they are not one and the same thing. Shoes should be such that, they provide a soft cushioning effect to your feet. They should have a strong supportive sole, so that the risk of injury due to slippage is minimized. There should be adequate provision for airflow on the toe side, so as to let the toes breathe. Always shop for shoes during afternoon, when your feet size is largest. Wear the shoes and roam about for a while to ensure it’s fit and comfortable

The many benefits of aerobics…

The ensuing demand for a continuous supply of oxygen creates the aerobic training effect, physiological changes that enhance the ability of the lungs, heart, and blood vessels to transport oxygen throughout the body.

Especially, aerobic exercises reduce our chances of developing many common illness and diseases.

Here’s a quick listing of the various merits of regular aerobics ---

• The heart enlarges and increases its blood stroke volume; more efficient cardiovascular system
• Resting heart rate slows, less than 60 beats per minute indicates good physical fitness
• Oxygen is used more efficiently resulting in increased fat burning during exercise
• More available energy due to greater amounts of ATP and PC for immediate power needs
• Increased endurance and lower blood pressure
• Reduced risks in developing diabetes and other diseases
• Increase in good cholesterol, decrease in bad cholesterol
• A positive body composition change, more muscle less fat
• Better chance of maintaining healthy weight later in life
• A great stress buster; help in coping with all other emotional and psychological stress

Most of the aerobic benefits begin to kick in within four weeks of starting an exercise program. Within three months of consistent training under a professional trainer, there should be a well-developed level of physical fitness with the more dramatic benefits taking place. The changes in the cell’s energy system can start to speed up the reduction in total body fat levels. The training effects of exercise do however start to reduce after about 48 hour so it’s important to be consistent and make your chosen activity fun!

So let’s make staying healthy our New Year resolution! Enjoy the experience of performing this wonderful workout and lead a healthy lifestyle. And don’t forget to share your experience with us… Healthy Living!