Getting the Most from your Aerobic Exercise Routine
Do you have an extra 30 minutes a day a few days a week? If so, you might want to consider adding some aerobic activity to your exercise program. If you add aerobic exercise, you’ll lose weight and improve your cardio health.
Aerobic exercise should be completed within your targeted heart rate for at least 30 minutes. Doing more for longer will increase the aerobic benefits. While exercising aerobically, you’ll burn fat that you’ve accumulated in your body. This is great for you – if you burn off excess fat, you’ll lose weight.
Combine Circuit Training and Aerobics
Circuit training is a form of exercise in which strength exercise is used in combination with aerobics or endurance training. If a treadmill is your preferred choice for a cardiovascular workout, you can craft a routine that challenges your heart at an increased pace. Light walking is the ticket for the first 5 minutes for a warm up. Warming up is important so you don’t experience injury to your muscles.
After warming up, walk vigorously at a pace you can deal with, using the correct breathing and form. Keep up with this speed for at least 5 to 10 minutes. Try increasing the pace of your walking until you are at a slow jog. If you’ve never run or jogged before, 5 minutes may be too much for you to handle: do what you can. Decrease your speed to a rapid stride for the next 10 minutes. Depending on the allotted time you have for exercise, you can then reduce the rapid walk to 5 minutes: then a 5 minute cool down. Cooling down is just as significant as warming up. Cooling down will give you the opportunity to stretch those legs and catch your breath.
Alternatively, if you’ve got 45 minutes, you can switch back and forth between the vigorous walk and jogging, just remember to cool down.
If you like, you can use the circuit training idea with a variety of exercise machines in the same workout:
Begin with an elliptical machine. (If you have poles, the lower body and upper body will benefit from the workout) Work out strenuously for 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t rest. Change to the stationary bike and cycle for another 10 to 15 minutes. Get on the treadmill and cool down.
It shouldn’t be an issue if you get your workout at home if you want to get the most out of aerobic exercise. There are tons of DVD’s and videos for the aerobic exercise workout, and that will match any time limitations you may have. These videos offer a variety of lower body and upper body workouts, with a warm ups and cool downs.
Dedication to aerobic exercise is a lasting commitment. Whenever you can, incorporate some type exercise into your day. Everything you do will add up to a healthier lifestyle!