Fitness and Health

What is Aerobic Exercise and Why should I do it?
by Lisa Balbach

Avoid the Aerobic Curve.

• The aerobic curve occurs when you begin exercising, increase your intensity level, hit the high point and gradually decrease your intensity level.

• The goal when exercising aerobically is to hit your target heart rate and maintain it for the entire exercise session. This works the heart muscle more effectively and burns more calories.

• Think of riding a bike, running or swimming - you start, hit your pace (or target zone), then you maintain your pace until the cool down.

• As your heart becomes conditioned, you will have to work harder to reach the target zone. Less conditioned athletes will reach their target zones quickly because their heart muscle isn’t used to the workload.

Aerobic Classes (step, hi/low, slide, interval etc…)

• In an aerobic class, you can do moves in low intensity or high intensity. The level of intensity depends upon how high you bring your arms (not whether the class is low impact or high impact).

• Aerobic instructors should show class members how to do moves in high or low intensity.

• Participants should choose their own level of intensity dependent upon their level of fitness and how frequently they exercise.

• If you are too tired to continue exercising in an aerobic class, march in place for a while until you can resume exercising.

• IT IS NOT OK to stop in the middle of an aerobic class because your body is sending extra blood to the muscles.

• Stopping suddenly can lead to muscle cramping and dizziness (this is why all aerobic classes have a cool down at the end of the aerobic section).

Exercise Frequency

• Cardiovascular fitness is an ongoing process and requires consistent reinforcement. To maintain your current level of fitness you should do aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week.

• To increase your level of fitness, try exercising 4 to 5 times per week. http://k2.kirtland.cc.mi.us/~balbachl/fitness.htm

Anaerobic Threshold Training

• Though anaerobic is very essential as part of a training regimen in order to reach your ultimate fitness level, an aerobic base is just as important.

• A simple and accurate method of determining your Anaerobic Threshold (A.T.) is to perform a maximum effort “time trial” of 30-40 minutes.

• In order to train at these levels, it is important to build an Aerobic Base.

• The body will only benefit if it has had time to build and adapt to the stressful parts of anaerobic training.

• Also, being fully rested will allow one to the ability to train at an anaerobic level. Having to push the body through an intense and challenging exercise takes full concentration and dedication. One should not make the body work hard unwillingly.

Aerobic Base Building

• In order to ensure that one is exercising within their aerobic level, the maximum heart rate should not exceed 80%. In using the rate of perceived exertion, the aerobic level should not exceed 16 on the scale.

• Aerobic base building is a recommended concept for individuals looking to achieve true fitness goals. An aerobic base allows participants to have a minimal two-month period of their training schedule where the exercises only consist of the heart falling into the aerobic training levels.

• This training period will allow the body to adapt and benefit from the strenuous period of anaerobic training.

• The most accurate instrument for all types of athletic training is a heart rate monitor. A heart rate monitor allows you to determine at what “real” level your heart rate and training level is at.