Benefits of Aerobic Exercises

There should be something here for you. Rather than decide on one right away, try a few of these and see which one you like the best. If you like a few of them, by all means vary your activity. You will be exercising different muscles and the overall effect will be even better. I have noted the minimum times required to reach your training heart rate, but remember more is better.

Begin, though, with short-range goals which you can increase every day. If you are jumping rope, for example, work up to 100 jumps without stopping during the first two weeks to a month. Then work up to 15 minutes without stopping during the next two months, and finally set your goal at 30 minutes.

Walking.
America’s most popular athletic pursuit. Minimum time 20 minutes, and you should increase to 40 minutes for the best results. Walk long and briskly, swing your arms, pull in your stomach, take long strides. The effect of your endurance will be as great as that of cycling or swimming.

Running (or Jogging). Minimum 15 minutes. Beginners should walk before you run. That is, start and stop, walking briskly between each run. As your wind improves, increase the proportion of running to walking, until you running the entire time.

This is one of the hardest for non-exercisers, because your legs will get quite sore at the beginning. Run only three times a week until your muscles stop aching, and never two days in a row. It is also quite a difficult one for very overweight people, because of the jarring effects and the strain on joints. So it might not be the one for you. It also may be intimidating for women with large breasts, because of this same jarring. But don’t despair; you can buy a special athletic bar, which has much more support.

This sport trains faster than any other, with the exception of cross-country skiing and rowing, and is very good for quick weight loss. Remember, you don’t have to be a racer. You can run anywhere, around the neighborhood, around a lake, around a track, even around your basement. And you can run slowly or fast. It is a nice social sport (once you reach your second wind), as well as a fulfilling solitary activity.

Bicycling (Outdoor or Stationary). Minimum time 20 minutes. Nutritionists and doctors are turning and more to the bicycle as a means of exercising their patients. You really work when you pedal. If you use a stationary bicycle, put on a pair of headphones and listen to music as you go. Outside, you should wear a helmet; no room for the earphones. Bicycling is easier on the legs and joints than running and jumping sports, and is more comfortable for big-busted women. I recommend it highly for the overweight person and the klutz. Most of us know how to ride a bicycle, and that’s all the skill you need for this sport. You can ride around the block, along city streets, country roads, on bicycle paths along rivers or around lakes. You can ride with friends or alone. Cycling is a good activity for the entire family; everyone can go at his or her own pace, but you are always somehow together. When you begin, try to ride a mile at a time, and work up to 5 miles over eight weeks time. Then go as far as you have time for.

Swimming. Minimum time 20 minutes. Swimming, like biking, is a lifelong sport. It is easy on your joints and bones and exercises all the skeletal muscles in your body. It is almost impossible to injure yourself while swimming. It is adaptable; you can swim laps in a pool, distances in lakes or the ocean. Synchronized swimming is one of the most strenuous of sports, while at the same time being more social than lap swimming. This sport is a good one for teens too stocky, small, or short for competitive sports like basketball and football. Once you’re in the water, your size is irrelevant.

It’s easy to learn to swim, once you overcome your fear of the water. A qualified instructor can teach you in just a few lessons. When you begin swimming, swim as far as you can the first day, then add a lap or a few more minutes every time. You can vary your strokes between crawl, breast stroke, and backstroke (sidestroke isn’t strenuous enough). Sing to yourself as you swim so you don’t get bored.

Jumping Rope. Minimum time 12 to 15 minutes. This exercise can be addictive and is one of the most exertive. You may not have done it since elementary school playground days, but when you take it up again it may bring back fond memories. These associations, however, should not discourage boys from jumping rope. Men have used jumping rope as a training exercise for other sports (boxing, football, etc.) for years.

You can jump rope in any space larger than a closet, which makes this a good travel sport. Listen to music as you kip, or talk with friends. If you feel klutzy at first, go through the skipping motion for a while without the rope; then gradually begin using the rope. It is actually not jumping, but skipping one foot after another, than you want to be doing, as you can keep this up for a longer time and it isn’t as jarring. This is an exercise that overweight and big-busted people might want to steer clear of.

Dance. Minimum time 15 minutes. All dance is terrific aerobic exercise as long as you dance continuously and vigorously (a slow fox trot would not do the trick). Ballet, modern, folk, and tap will give you a good workout. And of course, aerobic dance, which has became such a rage in recent years, is terrific. You must choose your class carefully, though, especially if you are a beginner, because some teachers work their classes so rigorously, not really considering the various levels of the students, that you might become discouraged. If you are very overweight, look around for classes geared for overweight people.

Dance classes are a good choice for people who don’t like exercising alone. The fact that you have signed up for a course and somebody is paying for it can be very motivating.

Cross-Country Skiing. Minimum time 15 minutes. This is one of the most demanding sports. Like swimming, it uses a great number of muscles. But it’s more exhausting – and exhilarating. The problem, of course, is that it’s not something you can do every day, unless you live in the country, and then you can only do it in winter. It’s best to do this one in conjunction with something else.

Jumping Jacks. Minimum time 12 to 15 minutes. Jumping jacks, like jumping rope, is one of the calisthenic exercises that can work your heart up to a training rate in a very short time. It’s one of the exercises to do with music, perhaps with friends, as part of a longer workout. It is difficult for overweight and big-busted people.

Rowing. Minimum time 15 minutes. This is one of the most strenuous of aerobic sports. You can row by yourself or with a friend, or on a rowing team. If you like being on a lake or a river, this is a sport to consider. It will build your muscle tone, especially arms, stomach, and back. Boys who feel scrawny might benefit from this one.

Figure Skating. Minimum time 20 minutes. This can be a highly demanding aerobic exercise, if you skate steadily. Try to find rinks or ponds that aren’t too crowded, so that you can give yourself a workout without running into people. When you concentrate on your from you use your stomach and buttock muscles as well as your leg muscles, and the overall toning effect is quite good.

Roller Skating. Minimum time 20 minutes. As with figure skating, when you skate quickly, but steadily, with control, over a long period of time, you get aerobic benefits. This is another good one to do with friends, and you will probably find that 20 minutes isn’t enough.

Canoeing and Kayaking. Minimum time 15 minutes. Like rowing, these can be highly aerobic if you are not just paddling along, but really working over 15 minutes (you will no doubt want to be out there a lot longer). Of course you have to be near water if you’re going to choose this as your activity.

Mini-Trampoline. Minimum time 15 minutes. Trampoline work has much the same benefits as jumping jacks and jumping rope, with the added advantage of not being jarring. You must use your entire body, swinging your arms, bending your legs as you hit the trampoline, pushing yourself up vigorously. Another one that’s fun to do to music.