Aerobic exercise is a sought-after workout to burn calories and attain fitness. It refers to a physical activity that uses large muscle groups in the body. Compared to other forms of exercise, aerobics is usually rhythmic and involves repetitive movements. Depending on your fitness goals and energy levels, you can adjust the intensity and engage in a full-body workout.
Aerobic increases your heart rate and the amount of oxygen your body uses. When you practice this form, your breathing controls the amount of oxygen that reaches your muscles to help you burn energy and move. This workout benefits both beginners and veterans. If you are a beginner and want to engage in aerobics, the following tips will help you start safely.
For beginners, it is best to set up a simple schedule of aerobics by starting slow. Learn about your energy levels and try to understand how much exercise your body can handle at one time. The great place to start is to schedule three days of the week for aerobics with a day of rest in between.
Allowing yourself a day off will give your body enough rest and help you feel how it responds to exercise. The body needs time to adjust to a routine, and so does the mind. Thus, start slowly and give yourself time before you take up bigger challenges.
Aerobics has various forms, such as skipping rope, cardio, cycling, dancing, and more. Regardless of the type you want to practice, include a warm-up and cool-down routine. Begin each session with a 5-10-minute warm-up. Start with light movements and gradually increase your heart rate. Going too hard too fast will make you tired sooner than before, and warm-ups generally don’t leave you exhausted.
Similarly, finish each workout with a cool-down. You can do some light cardio exercises and stretch your muscles to relax and keep them flexible. Go at a slower pace and lower intensity.
Your pace and intensity play a role in defining the outcome of an aerobic workout. Once you are acquainted with the routine, start working towards movements that are slightly harder than comfortable and go as long as you can.
You should begin where you are, and not where you want to be. Initially, you may be able to exercise for a few minutes, but as you remain consistent with the practice, it will change, and your pace and intensity will increase.
Stretching constitutes a vital part of aerobic workout. Try stretching before the warm-up or cool-down phase. Stretching helps improve flexibility and range of motion. Some stretches will also help you improve the rest of your performance by allowing the joints to move through their full range of motion.
According to studies, stretching before and after aerobic workouts helps prevent muscle soreness or injury. You can perform basic yoga poses to stretch your leg and arm muscles after each workout session.
After the first week, start levelling up your workout until you can do a 30-minute session continuously. It is okay to increase the session by one minute. Going slow and consistently is the key to a successful aerobic workout.
You don’t necessarily have to stick to only one form of aerobic workout. To make your fitness routine more fun and engaging, try adding different types of exercises every 4-6 weeks. Increase your pace and intensity by adding new activity to challenge yourself and come closer to your fitness goals.
As a beginner, we suggest a low-intensity aerobic workout routine and then shift to more intense sessions.
You can start taking a leisurely walk to raise your heart a little. The raised heartbeat will not feel uncomfortable to maintain. While walking, focus on your breath. By this time, you will not feel any noticeable increase in your pulse or heart rate, nor will you sweat. Other forms of low-intensity aerobics include doing light housework, like vacuuming and dusting, using an elliptical at a slow speed, etc.
You may feel an increased heart rate as you engage in moderate-intensity exercises. You may as well start sweating and feeling out of breath; however, you still don’t feel completely worn out. Common examples of moderate-intensity aerobics include brisk walking, dancing, slow jogging, cycling at a brisk pace, playing pickleball or a similar sport, etc.
It is an advanced level of aerobic workout under which your heart may race and you might end up sweating profusely. Such a workout may also put you out of breath. You can engage in such vigorous aerobics after 5-6 weeks of starting this workout. Examples include jumping rope, fast jogging, fast dancing, running, playing soccer, swimming laps, and others.
As a beginner, you should educate yourself about the duration of aerobic workouts and follow what experts suggest. Start with 15-minute aerobics three times a week and slowly increase the duration. It is recommended that adults aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics or 75 minutes of high-intensity aerobics weekly. How often or long you exercise depends on various factors, such as your stamina, overall well-being, and fitness targets.
Aerobics exercise keeps you fit and energized and is a great form of exercise for beginners. When you start, keep it simple and enjoy the activity you practice. Give yourself time and permission to do what your body and mind are ready for. All the best.