Aerobics is one of the safest exercises today to maintain fitness. Aerobics includes jogging, cycling, skipping, swimming, dancercise, brisk walking, climbing stairs or walking uphill. But when it’s obvious that you are not in top physical shape and you try to achieve fitness and health through aerobics overnight, then you could be in trouble. The intention of an aerobics workout is to maintain fitness irrespective of weight. It is common sense really. If you are overweight, over 30 and bouncing to a strenuous exercise routine, you could be in trouble. No doubt, this is good for the heart but picture the impact on joints, bones, backbone and muscles. So what’s the objective of aerobics? The founder of Aerobics, Dr. Kenneth Cooper, states that the objective of aerobics is to improve the organs involved in processing oxygen by raising the heart rate to 120 - 160 beats and maintaining it there for 20 - 25 minutes. So how do I know if I am fit to start aerobics? -
Before starting a strenuous exercise routine, get yourself checked by your doctor. If you are over 40, or obese, or have a history of diabetes, heart disease or hypertension, consult a cardiologist and insist on an ECG examination and any other tests. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends stress tests for all deskbound adults planning to start a vigorous exercise program. Once you have your doctors’s okay, start slow and then pick up intensity.
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Assess your fitness level by consulting with a professional trainer or even a more experienced partner. They will make sure that you don’t overdo the aerobic exercise, and that everything is done safely and correctly.
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Identify your weak areas. For example, if you have arthritis, a heated aqua exercise is much better than a high impact dancercise.
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But before you embark on an aerobic activity, warm up the muscles. Stretch properly to avoid injuries. After you are done with the exercise, cool down your body to prevent injuries. There are very few medical conditions that do not allow exercising. In some cases, exercise helps reduce symptoms or medical conditions. But medical supervision is required in each individual case to prevent complications. Do you do aerobics regularly to lose weight? How much has it helped you to gain total body fitness or has it not helped at all? Did you find it hard at first? What did you do to make it easier? |
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