WHAT IS AEROBICS?Aerobic training is best illustrated by comparing it to anaerobic training. Aerobic means “with oxygen, Anaerobic means “without oxygen”. Anaerobic training is a high intensity, short duration activity. Examples include sprinting and weight lifting. The muscles need a limited burst of energy, and enough energy is usually stored in the muscles. Aerobic training is at a lower intensity, but longer time. Typical examples include: biking, jogging, swimming, walking, yard work. More energy is needed for the longer duration because there isn't enough stored in the muscles. The body uses other sources of energy (mainly fat stores and fuel in the blood) in addition to the stores of energy in the muscles. These others fuel sources are not as readily available as the energy stored in the muscle. The body requires oxygen to make fat stores available as energy. Working too intensely during aerobic training can be over-demanding on your cardio vascular system and push your body out of aerobic mode into anaerobic mode. Working too hard to too long can cause dangerous fatigue. Aerobic exercise is activity that uses oxygen to burn fuel, (uses oxygen, therefore places demands on cardiovascular system). This is achieved by continuous movement of large muscle groups. Here is a checklist of signs indicating when the body is in, "Aerobic Mode." One sign is heavy breathing, usually not so hard you can't talk, but heavy. Another sign is light perspiration (although this could also be a sign of humidity or nervousness so it's best to use the breathing as a guide). Dripping with sweat is a sign your body is not cooling well, it's not an indicator of how hard you're working. It can lead to dehydration and heat exhaustion, so if you are dripping sweat you need to slow down or cool down and drink water. Other physical responses to aerobic exercise include elevated body temperature and increased rate of heart beats (although again, could be for many reasons such as illness, too much coffee, or flashing red lights in your rear view mirror). Most people also have the warm glow of youth in their skin during aerobic exercise. The heart is beating faster, the body is warmer, more oxygen is circulating, so of course people glow with life. Energy takes longer to make available aerobically, so one external indicator is that you've been moving continuously at least 10 minutes (with light perspiration and heavier breathing).AEROBIC BENEFITSSo what does aerobic training do for you in the long term? It increases your lung capacity. It strengthens the heart muscle, and increases metabolic rate (energy use and delivery). These benefits add up to disease prevention, improved muscle to fat ratio, improved appearance. Some other benefits include: reduced depression, more energy (from increased metabolic rate), and improved cholesterol levels. CAUTION Aerobic exercise:Watch your feet and if possible use a mirror to watch your form. Slouching can diminish your lung capacity and put stress on the back and hips. Plant your entire foot firmly on the floor, don't exercise on your tippy-toes. You should consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program. To prevent injury always warm up and cool down your body before and after every workout or training like aerobic dance, swimming, weight lifting, or biking. A warm up consists of a few minutes of continuous rhythmic movement (like walking) to increase the heart rate and circulation, then stretches for the major muscle groups you plan to use. Stretching gets the circulation going in every muscle fiber, so they are ready to work, freshly fed with oxygen, and less likely to be injured during exercise. It's a good idea to stretch the abdominal, waist, chest, and back muscles, in addition to major leg muscles. A cool down consists of slowly letting the heart rate return to non-exercising rate (a fast drop could make a person pass out), and stretching the major muscle groups. We need to stretch after exercise to remove the lactic acid which is a by-product of burning fuel (fat) aerobically. Lactic Acid makes muscle sore if it sits in the muscle instead of being cleared out by deep stretches after a workout.Tips for getting the most out of your heart and lungs: Take deep breaths. Get your arms really moving. Take a short walk for the pure pleasure of it. Have fun! Get things done! Dance when you dust. Play upbeat music. Wear good athletic shoes. Control and enjoy movement. Related Information: warm/up cool down safety, stretching, cross training, intensity, aerobic choreography, sample classes, combos, and variations |
DRINKING WATER – How Much and Why It is important to remember that drinking water is necessary to access aerobic energy and also to help regulate body temperature. It is recommended that a person drink 8-10 cups of water per day, including: 2-3 cups of fluid two hours before exercise, 1-2 cups of water 15 minutes prior to exercise, and at least 1 cup of fluid every 20 minutes of exercise. It is better to drink on schedule during exercise, rather than rely on thirst. It is also suggested that cool (not cold) water is more quickly absorbed into the body.For Dehydration symptoms and warning signs of heat illness see July 2004 newsletter. See February 2005 newsletter for information about Intensity and Difficulty Levels Here’s a way you can look at your Aerobic activities to add up for your approximate intensity / difficulty levels. Anytime you exercise it’s always a good idea to use your physical indicators like breathing level and sweating so you stay in tune with your body and exercise within a safe range. These difficulty / intensity points give an approximate idea of effort. You should never do any exercise that hurts. You should always warm up, cool down, stretch, and stay within a comfortable range of effort and activities. The actual point value depends on individual fitness level and effort. You start with the basic difficulty points. The first points are based leg activity. Then you calculate the additional intensity points based on what moves you do and how you modify them. BASIC DIFFICULTY POINTS – AEROBICS BASIC DIFFICULTY POINTS - LEGS Walking, Marching, low impact Aerobic Dance = 2 +LEGS lifting and kicking TRAVEL ARMS Straight Arms below shoulder level = 1 INTENSITY Adaptations for Beginners Build up slowly. Exercise for a short while at first, then gradually make it a longer session, OR a more challenging session for the same amount of time. Gradually increasing the time you exercise or the intensity of activity gives you a greater chance of long term success and helps prevent injury as your body adapts to new activities. TO MODIFY EXERCISE FOR BEGINNERS Do not use any arm movements at first, instead concentrate on feet movement. When you can comfortably perform the feet and leg movements, understand cues, and have some practice, then add arms movements to increase your effort level. Start adding arms with Bent arms for smaller range of movement. Keep arms closer to body, below shoulder height/ heart level. Drink plenty of water, even if you’re not sweating.The Right Shoes For Your Workout Expensive does not equal good. Look for shoes with reinforcement across the toes, good arch support, and a wide base to support you during sideways movements. |