Aerobics

[Aania]

Aerobics

Classified by any exercise which elevates the heart-beat, and requires additional oxygen intake. Activities such as, running, walking, swimming, dancing, playing basketball and riding a bicycle are just a few of the many different aerobic exercises.


Contrary to popular belief, lifting weights or weight training is not an aerobic activity--it is an anaerobic exercise. Aerobic activities can slow a person's pulse rate, increase the volume of blood in the body, and even result in more efficient breathing for the person.


Whether you are trying to gain weight or lose weight, aerobic exercises should definitely be in your workout plan. Toning results from aerobic exercises can often be seen within short periods of time.

[Aania]

Re: Aerobics

Dancing
Dancing is one of the most effective ways to exercise many of the muscles in the body. While other exercises only require the use of the lower body muscles and others require the upper body muscles, dancing gives a "total-body" work-out. Oftentimes, dancing relaxes and energizes the person. According to the Nutrition Almanac "Studies show that steps such as the cha-cha, polka, samba, Viennese waltz, and the East and West Coast swing can easily raise the average persons heart rate enough to achieve an aerobic conditioning effect." (G. Kirshmann, Nutrition Almanac)

[Aania]

Re: Aerobics

Running/Walking

Running is a great way to burn calories and get the circulatory system working. Nearly the same number of calories are burned when walking or running! However, walking 2 miles would take nearly twice the time as it would to run those miles. Running or walking are great aerobic exercises which people over-look when traveling short distances. Instead of walking to a nearby store, people take their cars for short treks. Most beginning runners should start with walking, in order to increase stamina and build endurance. Also, by walking, the person knows his/her limits. Once the walker feels comfortable traveling 20-30 minutes without stopping, running that distance is the next step. Be sure to wear the proper foot-wear, as un-cushioned shoes will cause foot sores, and possible injuries. Also, keep up the amount of fluids you take into your body. Especially in the summer heat, large amounts of liquids are vital; the more you drink, the longer your body will be hydrated throughout the day.

Warming Up: A suggested practice is to run a 2-3 minute warm-up jog. This pre-run jog will get your muscles working and loosen them up.

Stretching: After taking a warm-up run, the runner should stretch. Stretching is very important in injury prevention. If you do not stretch, you can increase the likelihood of getting cramps, and/or injury.

Cooling Down: Be sure that you do not come to a complete stop after you run. Walking around for a bit will cool down your muscles and give them a chance to relax, without completely stopping. If you simply stop after your workout, your muscles will soon tighten and your muscles will be sore.

Post-run Stretch: It is important to stretch before you run, but it is also very important to stretch after running. As cooling down, this prevents your muscles from tightening up and becoming sore.

Common Injuries: Some of the most common injuries among runners include: shin splints, and plantar fascitis. Shin splints are pains in the front of the legs, from the knees and below. One of the largest reasons for this injury is lack of support in the shoes. When the runner wears unstable shoes, they can be very vulnerable to shin splints. Another common cause for shin splints is "pounding" when you run; when the runner comes down with too much force and there is not enough cushion to support the entire force. To avoid shin splints, try to be light on your feet and not to stomp on the ground with too much force. This is often hard to avoid when coming down hills, but can be minimized. Plantar fascitis is an ailment involving the Achilles tendon, the muscle connecting the heel of the foot to the arch of the foot (back of the ankle.) This condition is brought about when the shoes are not giving enough support to the runner and causes pain in the arch of the foot. In order to relieve the pain from this type of sore, apply an ice pack for 10-15 minutes.

[Aania]

Re: Aerobics

Sports



Playing sports is another great way to burn calories and to have fun. Active sports such as soccer, basketball, tennis or golf can burn many calories in short periods of time. Remember to always stretch or warm-up before any intense sports playing.

[Aania]

Re: Aerobics

Swimming
Although swimming does give many of your muscles a good workout, and burns many calories, studies have shown that swimming tends to trigger appetite. Despite this possible unfavorable outcome, swimming does put the body in great physical shape. Swimming not only works the arms and legs, but also works the circulatory system very effectively. In fact, the heart rate is lowered just as in running.

[Aania]

Re: Aerobics

Weight Training


Weight lifting is a great way to improve muscle tone and turn fat areas into muscle. However, through weight training you may gain weight. The reason for that is, muscle tissue weighs more than fat tissue. There are three types of weight training programs: isometric, isotonic, isokinetic.

Isometric weight training is exercise with little or no movement of the target muscle area. Isometric exercise requires muscle tension to build strength. Pushing against a wall is an example of an isometric exercise.

Isotonic exercises require movement during muscular contractions. Doing isotonic exercises should give the doer strength and flexibility. Such examples are pull-ups, push-ups and lighting weights.

Isokinetic exercises involve a wide range of movement. The exercises build strength, flexibility and endurance. Resistance is put in different angles and a wide range of motion. An example of isokinetic exercise is Tai-chi.

When weight training, here are some simple guidelines to follow, even if you are not trying to gain weight. When toning muscles, it is suggested to do more repetitions and lighter weights. When lifting for strength, fewer repetitions is best, but with heavier weights.

Toning: 2-3 Sets of 10-12 repetitions.
Strength building: 2-3 Sets of 8-10 repetitions.
Gaining mass: 2 Sets of 6-8 repetitions.

By working your muscles repeatedly, you eventually will reach a pinnacle where the weights you are lifting will not give your muscles very little improvement, if any. When this time comes, you should increase the amount of weights that you lift, but decrease the number of repetitions to begin. Once you are accustomed to the larger weights and your muscles can handle the difference, you can add repetitions to your sets.

[Aania]

Re: Aerobics

Myth:

If extra protein is ingested, more muscles will be developed.
Truth:

Yes, extra protein is good for muscle development. When a person does weight training, the muscles need more protein to build themselves up. But, the ingestion of the protein by itself does nothing. And if excess protein is ingested, it will be deposited as fat. The more protein you eat, the more you will have to work out to make use of it. Otherwise, you will become more obese instead of stronger.

[Wafa]

Re: Aerobics

very useful information Aania .........nice sharing.....:rose

[*Hala*]

Re: Aerobics

very nice ji :phool:

[*Rida*]

Re: Aerobics

Assalaam-0-Alaikom:rose

wowwww buht zabardast sharing hai Aaniaa:phool:
aur lengthy bhi :emb:\

:hehe: