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Aerobic exercise
burns fat
and calories, helps you to lose weight, strengthens your heart
muscle, increases your ability to use oxygen and relieves
stress. It is important for everyone to get aerobic exercise at
least three to five times per week for 20 to 60 minutes.
To keep your exercise routine fresh and fun, vary your
activities whenever possible. Aerobic exercises are very
effective in strengthening the heart and lungs, strengthening the organ's ability to contract.
Stronger contractions
mean an improved, stronger blood flow, in turn making a body better
equipped for exercise. It is also a good aid for loosing weight. As
beneficial as aerobic exercise is, however, it's not enough to add
muscle and shape to your body.
Not all sport activities provide an effective aerobic workout. If you participate in a sport
where the action is not continuous, or where players are often
substituted in play for short periods of time, you may need more aerobic
activity to balance out your fitness routine or to achieve weight loss.
Aerobic sports include
cycling, hiking, running, and tennis.
An aerobics class will improve cardiovascular endurance, flexibility,
muscular endurance, muscular strength, coordination and balance. A typical aerobic class
should have the following format:
Warm-up
(5-10 minutes): Marching
in place and step-touches are common. The warm-up will also include
stretching exercises to increase muscle flexibility and prevent injury.
Aerobic
segment (20 to 50 minutes): Common
exercises include knee lifts, light jogging, leg kicks, lunges,
grapevines, calisthenics and/or various dance movements.
Cool-down
(5 to 10 minutes): Gradually
reduces the heart rate and decreases blood flow to the muscles. The
cool-down involves slower, less intense movements of the large muscles.
It is also important to perform stretching exercises during the
cool-down After
the aerobics session, the body needs time to recover and grow.
Alternating days and staggering intensity of workout can aid in your
overall development and prevent injury. Paying attention to your body's
messages -- soreness, tension, aches -- can help you figure out when to
work and when to rest.
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