Archive for the ‘Aerobics and wellness’ Category

Intense! How Tough Should Your Aerobics Workout Be?

Aerobics are great for losing weight and staying healthy because they strengthen your breathing and heart as well as help you burn fat. However, many people don’t know or understand how to do an aerobics workout in order to best maximize the results. Intensity is a very important aspect of any aerobics workout, so if you want to get the most out of your aerobics, make sure that you’re following these three rules.

First, find that intensity that is your sweet spot. If you work out too intensely, you may injure yourself or will not see results. However, if you don’t work out intensely enough, you will lose any weight or grow stronger. Therefore, you have to work with a program that has just the right intensity for your. When trying new exercises, try to make sure that they include enough weights or speed to make the workout hard, but not impossible. Remember also that you will need to re-work the intensity of your workout as your tolerance and endurance increases, so take a look at your routine every week or two and make necessary changes.

The second rule is to intensity and your workout is to be safe. Over training is a huge problem because it puts you and those around you in danger. When you under train, you see no results, which may push you intensify. That’s good, but too much and you’ll be vomiting before the workout is over and possibly injuring yourself. If you are training properly, your muscles should be sore, but your joints should not. Never do an intense exercise in which you cannot control your form or breathing. Instead, take breaks and use lower weights or speed to get back on track. This method will help you get more out of your workout anyway. In any case, if you are injured during a workout, call for help immediately from those around you. It is a good idea to workout with a partner or to at least let someone know that you’re working out in case anything happens to you.

Lastly, build intensity instead of jumping into the deep end. When you are starting to exercise, you won’t be able to suddenly run the Boston marathon! Building up slowly will help prevent injury, as talking about in the second step, but it can also help you to not get frustrated. If you slowly build up your aerobics routine, you’ll be able to find success more readily.

Posted by Best Gyms on February 19th, 2009 No Comments

When Workouts Go Wrong: Aerobics And Injuries

Aerobics are great exercises to do to get your heart pumping and your body sweating. You can use aerobic exercises in order to lose weight, build endurance, and stay heart healthy. However, there is also a downside to aerobic exercising for some people. If you are not careful, you could get injured due to aerobic exercise. Therefore, it is important to follow these tips to making sure you are exercising and using aerobics in a fun and healthy way for your body.

First and foremost, when you are doing aerobics consider your dress. Wearing good shoes is important. Aerobics require lots of movement, so when you have worn shoes or laces that come untied often, there is a good chance you may slip and fall. You should also consider the other articles of clothing you’re wearing. If they are too constricting or too heavy, you may become more easily overheated. Your clothing should breathe well and not be too tight in order to prevent you from injury.

Also consider your workout area, especially if you are working out at home. When you’re at home, you’ll need to make sure that you area is large enough for you to move and not bang into anything. It is also crucial that you service your workout equipment to make sure that it is in the best shape possible and will not cause injury. Your workout area at home should also be clean. When you workout, you sweat a lot and breathe heavily, so if you’re doing that in a dirty environment, you could pick up some nasty bacteria or viral infections.

Another tip to staying safe is to not push yourself too much. While it is important to push yourself in order to have the best and most intense workout possible. When you push yourself too hard, however, you put may find yourself pulling muscles, experiencing cramps, or otherwise injuring your body.

Your doctor can tell you more about how to stay safe while exercising. Remembering to warm up and cool down is necessary, as is doing the right exercises for your body, age, and gender. When you work out, you should feel your best, not be worried about injury.

Staying safe is important. If you are hurt, you won’t be able to do aerobics while you recover, and you will miss out on days or even weeks of training. If your health is important to you, that should include your safety, so take measures to being safe whenever you hit the gym to do your aerobics workout.

Posted by Best Gyms on February 18th, 2009 No Comments

Aerobic: Don’t Forget Your Lower Body

When it comes right down to it, every one wants to be healthy. You might not know it, but aerobics are going to be one of the best things you can do so that you can truly get healthier. Just think of the time that you spend worrying about how you look, or even the time that you end up sad and depressed about something in your life! If you can fill this time with aerobics, not only is it going to be beneficial for you, it is going to help you in more ways than simply your health.

However, sometimes you want to work on one part of your body in a way that makes it stronger. Many times the workouts that we create for ourselves simply focus on our whole body. This can be great, because aerobics are something that can work well for the whole body. But many people have an area of their body that they would like to target, and so it is sometimes good to target just a piece of you.

Our lower body can be something that we want to work on. Your legs and the rear end are parts have to be developed to make it strong because they are what get you through each and every day. You need endurance when it comes to walking and running, and a lot of people don’t like the way that their legs or the rear end look and want to change this by working out.

There are many things that we can do to strengthen our lower body while we are working out. Everyone should know that while you are doing aerobics you should be moving your legs constantly. The repetitions of whatever you are doing for your aerobic workout, such as walking or running, should be done in such a way so that your leg muscles are moved to their maximum potential. It is important to get your heart pumping!

One great way to increase the amount of work that your legs are doing, and therefore make them stronger, is to get leg weights to attach to yourself as you work out. This means that you can make your to be stronger because you’ll have to exert more force to move your legs and your ankles. This makes sure that your aerobic workouts target your legs and your lower body. Don’t forget to target all areas of your body when working out as well working out.

Posted by Best Gyms on January 18th, 2009 No Comments

Aerobics And The Support System

When it comes to any kind of working out, having a support system is very important. Most people use aerobics to stay healthy and resist weight gain, or even lose weight. There are a number of people who can be a part of your support system to aid you in your health pursuit. These people will help you stay motivated so that you aren’t tempted to skip your aerobics and watch television instead!

First, a health care professional should be at the head of your support systems. Doctors will be able to give suggestion about your aerobics routine as well as point out anything you are doing that could be bad for your body. When you have your doctor on your side, you know that you are being safe and making good health decisions. Make sure that you visit your doctor regularly to chart your progress and also check with him or her when you drastically change an aerobics program.

Also at the top of your list of support group members should be personal trainers. If you can afford it a aerobics personal trainer is the best way to meet weight loss or maintenance goals. A personal trainer will also be able to correct your form and give you tips to make your aerobics workout go as successful as possible. He or she will be your mental support as well, urging you to do better at all times.

Your family is also provide a great support system. Even while you are at home and not doing aerobics, you and your family can work together to have a healthier lifestyle by not smoking, eating healthy foods, and getting outside more often instead of sitting on the couch every day. You can take your whole family to the gym to try out aerobics workouts. This helps to improve your family bond as well as do something right for your bodies together.

Lastly, look to others who are doing aerobics to round out your support system. You can work out with a partner in order to stay motivated. Find someone who likes to do aerobics as well and go to the gym at the same time or attend the same classes. This can be a great motivation. You can also look for a more wider workout partners by joining an aerobics class. After your class and showering, hang out with these new friends and you’ll find that living a healthy life is rewarding and easier to do than you may have first thought. When you are starting an aerobics programming having a good group of support people can truly make all the different.

Posted by Best Gyms on January 17th, 2009 No Comments

Aerobic Exercise For Weight Loss Can Be Fun

The word aerobic literally means “with oxygen” or “in the presence of oxygen.” Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously for a long period of time and is rhythmic in nature. Aerobic exercises utilize oxygen as the major fuel for sustaining activity for relatively long periods.

In general, aerobic exercises are those activities that require large muscle work, elevate the heart rate to between 60 percent and 80 percent of maximal heart rate, are continuous in nature and are of 15 to 60 minutes in duration. An aerobically fit individual can work longer, more vigorously and achieve a quicker recovery at the end of the aerobic session.

Aerobic exercises fall in two categories:

Low to Moderate Impact aerobics – These include walking, swimming, stair climbing, step classes, light water aerobics, rowing and cross-country skiing. Nearly anyone in reasonable health can engage in some low- to moderate-impact exercise. Brisk walking burns more calories than jogging for the same distance because it takes more time to walk than jog that distance and poses less risk for injury to muscle and bone.

High-Impact aerobics – Activities that belong to this group include running, dance exercise, tennis, racquetball and squash. High-impact aerobics should be performed on alternate days. People who are overweight, elderly, out of condition or have an injury or other medical problem should do them even less frequently and only with clearance from their doctor.

Here are some of the many aerobic exercises you can do and because of the variety you have to choose from, it can not only take the bordum out of doing it, it can make doing it downright fun as well.

1. Walking
Walking is a popular form of exercise because it requires little in terms of equipment or facilities. Walking an extra 20 minutes each day will burn off 7 pounds of body fat per year. Longer, moderately-paced daily walks are best for losing weight.

2. Jogging/Running
In jogging or running, an individual is able to cover greater distances in a shorter period of time. Therefore, greater numbers of calories can be burned per time spent.

3. Choreographed Aerobic Exercise
Choreographed aerobic dance is a very popular form of exercise throughout the world. Aerobic dance helps in toning up the muscles of the body and many people find it fun to do as well.

4. Step Aerobics
Step aerobics incorporates the use of a step or bench typically about one foot wide and three feet long and about six inches high. Instructors use many moves that require participants to step up and down from the platform. This way, the activity will not be boring and tiring, but will be lively and motivating.

5. Water Aerobics
Water aerobics incorporates a variety of movements from both swimming and land aerobics to develop vigorous routines that are aerobic in nature. It utilizes the resistance to movement that water creates to elevate heart rates and also helps you if balancing yourself on land is difficult. It is a good way to lose weight.

6. Swimming
Swimming is a very popular form of regular exercise. Due to the resistance of water, the amount of energy required to swim a certain distance is greater than that needed to run or walk the same distance. In other words, swimming can burn more calories than running per time spent.

7. Stationary Cycling/Bicycling
Stationary cycling or bicycling are excellent forms of aerobic exercise when done continuously. Like swimming, cycling is a non weight bearing activity that builds muscular endurance and strength and improved flexibility of selected muscles of the legs and thighs.

8. Jumping Rope
Jumping rope can be a great aerobic workout as long as it is performed at a slow to moderate pace and is done continuously for a relatively long period of time (15 minutes or more).

The key to effective weight loss is through use of a healthy exercise program which is performed on a regular basis while following a healthy dieting & nutritional plan. Aerobic exercise is good for weight loss because it uses more calories than other activities and helps raise your metabolic rate.

This helps your body burn calories at a faster rate. It is an effective way to lose fat only if you are motivated enough to do it frequently. Aerobics only burns fat during the workout itself. So if you want encouraging results you need to be able to exercise daily and for longer periods.

Posted by Best Gyms on January 10th, 2009 No Comments

Burn Body By Aerobic Or Cardioworkout

Body burns calories at a faster than normal rate. The Limitations of the 2 Types of Cardio Workouts Once you get your heart rate up to the correct level, the low intensity cardio workout will burn body fat. Exercise improves your metabolism and increases the number of calories your body burns each day, which is necessary for weight loss.

Several scientific studies have found that this fatty acid promotes lean body mass while helping to burn body fat. Reason 3: Drinking water BURNS EXTRA calories When you drink water, your body burns extra calories. Sustaining 30-50 g daily carb intake on a long run makes your body burn proteins.

Doing cardio first thing in the morning on an empty can tap into fat stores and keeps the body burning calories at a high rate for about an hour after cardio is finished. So do exercise and keep your body moving to burn body fat and lose weight, but also be aware of your body’s natural limitations. ;gives you vital nutrients and vitamins;makes you slimmer, by jump-starting your metabolism (how quickly your body burns energy), which is slow after relative inactivity at night.

Do Light Resistance training before An Aerobic Or CardioWorkout During the first 20 minutes of any exercise the body will not burn body fat, instead your body will burn glycogen (a source of energy for the muscles)Basically, you have to do a minimum of 20 minutes worth of light resistance training or weight lifting. That is the secret to maintaining a perfect dietary plan - eat less fat than your body burns everyday. You will burn body fat while keeping that hard earned muscle.

Water The amount of water in an individual’s system can have dramatic effects on it”s ability to metabolize and burn body fat. Well, another reason is that for every kg of muscle gain , the body burn an additional 50-80 calories per day. Remember that the body burns the essential fatty acids not for energy, but for special functions necessary for good health and survival.

What if I told you that the ONLY place on your body that you can burn body fat for fuel is your muscles. Our body burns calories 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Increasing your metabolism means your body burns calories at a higher rate.

Because the treatment of burns depends on the type of burn body has faced. These wonder-foods can increase the number of fat calories your body burns - they’re like little diet-helpers, stimulating your metabolism. In order to build new muscle, you must eat more calories than your body burns off, creating what is called a caloric surplus.

Therefore exercise first thing in the morning before breakfast to maximise the opportunity to burn body fat. Weight training can help you add muscle (big muscle for guys, shapely, toned muscle for women), burn body fat (and do so faster and more efficiently than aerobics), get fit, feel great, and look even better.

Posted by Best Gyms on December 26th, 2008 No Comments

Aerobic Wear - A Complete How-to Guide

Do you enjoy working out? Do you participate in aerobics? If so, did you know that the wrong aerobic wear can adversely affect your workout? Aerobic wear is an essential part of the aerobic workout, and when the wrong attire is worn, discomfort and irritation is often the result.

When shopping for clothing to wear while doing aerobics it is imperative to purchase pieces that fit loosely and allow for free airflow. If you are wearing tight, binding aerobic wear, your movements are likely to be restricted and make the exercising ineffective.

Some people like to just throw on a sweat suit and head out for exercise class, and this is fine since this type of aerobic wear is lightweight, loose fitting and is made from breathable material. However, if you prefer to leave the house looking stylish, even when aerobics class is your destination, there is a variety of aerobic wear to choose from that will add a bit of flair to your workout.

This type of active wear is available in many styles, as well as a multitude of colors and designs. Visiting a major sporting goods store will allow you to browse many aisles of available aerobic wear. Items available to add to your work out wardrobe include shirts, shorts, pants, tank shirts and shoes all made to fit comfortably and fashioned from material that allow free airflow.

If you happen to be a common size, the Internet has plenty to offer in this arena. Many of the online vendors offer buy one get one free specials, as well as free shipping. Why not conserve gas and shop for your aerobic wear online?

It can be purchased separately as individual pieces, or is available in two and three piece outfits. Buying pieces singly allows you to mix and match your favorite colors, but if you lack fashion coordination skills a set might be for you. Aerobic wear sets feature tops with matched bottoms, and sometimes a matching, lightweight jacket. A few good pieces in neutral colors will allow you to periodically add new items of aerobic wear as used pieces become to worn to be functional.

It can be purchased separately as individual pieces, or is available in two and three piece outfits. Buying pieces singly allows you to mix and match your favorite colors, but if you are not sure how to coordinate colors youd better get a set. Aerobic wear sets feature tops with matched bottoms, and sometimes a matching, lightweight jacket. A few good pieces in neutral colors will allow you to periodically add new items of aerobic wear as used pieces become too worn to be functional.

The clothing you wear when exercising does not have to be boring, nor does it have to cost a fortune. With just an afternoon of shopping, you should be able to bring home an entire wardrobe of stylish, economical aerobic wear that will keep you on your toes!

Posted by Best Gyms on December 18th, 2008 No Comments

Modern Aerobic Workouts

“No pain, no gain” has long been a popular phrase for motivational speakers and exercise buffs. Many of use would prefer to say “Forget the pain and lose the gain”, but unfortunately, it’s just not that easy.

The common obstacles for the weight loss projects available are a lack of time for it, consistency of exercise, and the thought that you’re getting tired of all these exhausting activities that doesn’t seem to work on you, because the results are minimal.

Everyone wants to see results from their efforts, but obstacles can come into play. The problem may not be a lack of effort on your part, but simply that you’re not eating the right foods. Others fail because they’re not consistent with the rhythm and timing of the workouts.

There is a great deal of emphasis on the consistency and rhythm of aerobic workouts, as well as the length of the routine. There are both minimum and maximum recommended time allowances for all types of aerobics. If you understand these times, you’ll have a better chance of achieving results.

Torturing yourself with an exhaustive routine isn’t always enough. Aerobic workouts are not just about the treadmill or the gym or the running and jogging. There are other ways to circulate your oxygen intake, and many are more enjoyable than they are exhausting.

Aerobic exercise
has been popular for decades, and often used in the various methods of dance, rhythmic exercise, swimming, yoga, tai chi, aerobic boxing and many more. There is a great deal of research and information about the benefits of aerobic exercise available in physical fitness magazines and bookstores, as well as on the Internet.

The best part of it a great aerobic workout is not only that it will help you to achieve results, but it’s also a lot of fun. When you’re enjoying yourself and having fun, it’s so much easier to fully commit to your regime. After you’ve made the commitment, the consistency and results will naturally follow.

To be really sure about the right type of aerobics that would be most beneficial, it is recommended that you consult a physician. There are three types of simple classes that determine what impact benefits you most. The types consist of step, high, and low.

As the name implies, step aerobics involves a basic one-two stepping concept. You exercise with a block, a bench step or any other secure object that you can step up and off in a constant rhythm. High intensity aerobics require a lot more energy and movement, like bouncing and jumping. These are similar to aerobic dance moves. Low impact aerobics involves a series of exercises that are performed with one foot always touching ground, with less jumping and bouncing. Each class of aerobics delivers different results. Again, ask your doctor for help in determining which type of aerobics exercise is best for you.

In the end, your main goal is simply to stay fit. Step aerobics is an easy way to stay fit for those who don’t have time for a regular sports schedule. There are no ab-crushers or bulky mechanical devices. All you really need is a sturdy platform to step on, and some time to set aside for your daily workout.

Exercising with friends and family is a great way to have fun while keeping fit. If you work out with a buddy, you’re less likely to get bored, and you’ll both look and feel better.

Posted by Best Gyms on December 13th, 2008 No Comments

Burn Calories With Aerobics

If you are tired of feeling tired, you should begin focusing not only to the calories you consume, but rather on building your body’s shape and training your strength . By focusing on strengthening your muscles, you are building a body machine that is capable of lifting easier, standing for a longer period of time, run quicker and further, and perform in general better. But, most importantly by investing on your physical state, you are transforming your calorie burning machine -your body- to that better enhanced version you always dreamt of having; the best part is that this is still you and not a movie character. Thus, if you wish to burn more calories while increasing your strength and ability to function better, but you would like to avoid registering for the aerobics class your gym offers, you can now perform another type of aerobic exercise that you will repeat with a smile on your face.

No, I am not joking. Aerobic exercises are in fact exercises that offer your body the much needed oxygen to operate and for your muscles to burn more calories. So, instead of trying to put on those tight pants you so much dislike, you can sweat up and exercise while doing some of your house errands. Everyday activities can provide you with all the aerobic benefits you so much wish for without having to suffer by looking yourself into the mirror while wearing those ugly exercise Lycra uniforms.

Cardiovascular activities, like walking or even gardening, can provide into your daily routine with the needed levels of exercise you need. After all, you will feel proud that you went shopping, cut your lawn, or washed the dog, and at the same time were doing an aerobic exercise. Just imagine that by walking for 10 to 15 minutes, twice a day, even without dieting you can reduce your size by two whole numbers! Fitness experts also state that aerobic exercise can significantly reduce your waistline, since this type of physical activity targets your abdominal area which is where all that belly fat usually resides. But the best part is that aerobic exercising is not only for those stubborn bulges around your waist. It is one of the best exercising methods known, to burn more calories and improve the state of your health. People that regularly perform activities that could be classified as aerobic types of exercise, run a lower risk of suffering later from cardiovascular diseases, stroke, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and in some cases even cancer.

So, in order to keep fit and improve your overall ability to burn calories sooner and for longer, find a physical activity you like and make it part of your daily routine. Then find the next and so on and so forth. By performing the ones you select once or twice a week, you are less likely to quit, since you add variety to your program and most importantly you complete a number of jobs around the house.

Now, in case you do have time to explore a more “advanced” way of performing an aerobic exercise, you can always join that gym class, go dancing, start up swimming or tennis, or even learn kickboxing and tai chi. The list is endless and the only thing missing from the equation is you in order for it to be successfully solved:

Aerobics + You = More Calories Burn = Increased Level of Fitness

Posted by Best Gyms on December 5th, 2008 No Comments

Aqua Aerobics And Other Boredom Busters

There are a lot of benefits in trying new workouts. Not only is it more motivating to give yourself different exercises to do, but your body and social life can benefit to. You’ll meet different people, and by combining outdoor and indoor activities, you can get some fresh air and have a break from noisy, sweaty, and crowded gyms.

Perhaps more importantly, our bodies become conditioned to our exercise programs. We tend to focus on specific muscles during our routines, and by changing the activity we do, we can work more muscle groups without having to think about it too much. We start to see results more quickly if we vary our program regularly.

Here are some different fitness activities to try:

Aqua fitness takes on many styles, as the four examples below show:

Aqua boxing - a combination of taebox, tai chi, karate, and kickboxing. Aqua boxing is great for cardiovascular fitness, coordination, muscle control and flexibility.

Aqua cardio - using a buoyancy belt.

Low impact aqua classes - good for those recovering from injuries. This is done in shallow water.

Aqua pilates
- pilates movements are done in the water to build core strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance. If you haven’t done pilates before, it might be best to try it on dry land first, as it may seem a bit harder in the water.

Check out your nearest aqua fitness center as there are no doubt more types of classes available.

Nordic walking - Even if you live in a country as dry as Australia, you can still get the benefits of a cross country ski workout. Essentially, this style of exercise mimics the gait of cross country skiing, and uses poles, but no skis, and no snow necessary. The poles make it an upper body workout as well, and the long strides are great for the legs and buttocks.

Pole dancing - This exercise is a favorite with some celebrities, including Teri Hatcher. It’s a great cardiovascular workout, and helps improve confidence and body tone.

Duo training - This style of training is for two people. Each person provides resistance for the other, and you both get a workout at the same time. This is also a good way to motivate each other to stick to a fitness schedule. Now, instead of meeting for coffee or a drink, why not meet to workout together!

There are of course many other ways to add variety to our programs. Simply by adding weights to a cardio workout, using different machines, trying a different fitness DVD, or even going back to basics like using a skipping rope, cycling with varying intensity, or trying shorter workouts at a greater intensity. They key is to break any routine that your body and mind are settling into. Fitness becomes a lot more fun then, and there is nothing more motivating than fast results.

Posted by Best Gyms on December 3rd, 2008 No Comments