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Aerobic or Endurance , an Exercise Method

The sweat experts divide exercise into three general categories:

Aerobic (also called endurance).
Strength (also called resistance).
Flexibility(Also called stretching

A balanced program should include all three.Speed training is also a major category, but is generally practiced only by competitive athletes.

A few simple rules are helpful as you develop your own routine.

Don't eat for two hours before vigorous exercise.
Drink plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout.
Adjust activity according to the weather and reduce it when fatigued or ill.

When exercising, listen to the bodys warning symptoms, and consult a physician if exercise induces chest pain, irregular heartbeat, undue fatigue, nausea, unexpected breathlessness, or lightheadedness

Warming up and cooling down are important parts of any exercise routine. They aid the body in making the transition from rest to activity and back again and can help prevent soreness or injury, especially in older people.Warmup exercises should be practiced for five to 10 minutes at the beginning of an exercise session,such as walking briskly, swinging the arms, or jogging in place. To cool down, one should walk slowly until the heart rate is 10 to 15 beats above resting rate. Cooldown exercises slow the heart rate and stretch warm muscles.

1. Aerobic (also called endurance):

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines aerobic exercise as "any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature." It is a type of exercise that overloads the heart and lungs and causes them to work harder than at rest.

The important idea behind aerobic exercise today, is to get up and get moving!! There are more activities than ever to choose from, whether it is a new activity or an old one. Find something you
enjoy doing that keeps your heart rate elevated for a continuous time period and get moving to a healthier life.

Types of Aerobic Exercise:

Aerobic exercise is usually categorized as high or low impact.

Low to moderateimpact exercises: walking, swimming, stair climbing, step classes, rowing, and crosscountry skiing. Nearly anyone in reasonable health can engage in some low to moderateimpact exercise. Brisk walking burns as many calories as jogging for the same distance and poses less risk for injury to muscle and bone.

Highimpact exercises: running, dance exercise, tennis, racquetball, squash. Highimpact exercises

should be performed no more than every other day and less for those who are overweight, elderly, out of condition, or have an injury or other medical problem that would preclude highimpact.
Here are some same type of examples of aerobic exercise;

Aerobic Dance
Bicycling
Cross Country Skiing
Inline Skating
Fitness Walking
Jumping Rope
Running
Stair Climbing
Swimming

Benefits of Aerobic Exercise:

Increased maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max)
Improvement in cardivascular/cardiorespiratory function (heart and lungs)
Increased maximal cardiac output (amount of blood pumped every minute)
Increased maximal stroke volume (amount of blood pumped with each beat)
Increased blood volume and ability to carry oxygen
Reduced workload on the heart (myocardial oxygen consumption) for any given submaximal exercise
intensity
Increased blood supply to muscles and ability to use oxygen
Lower heart rate and blood pressure at any level of submaximal exercise
Increased threshold for lactic acid accumulation
Lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with high blood pressure
Increased HDL Cholesterol (the good cholesterol)
Decreased blood triglycerides
Reduced body fat and improved weight control
Improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance

Aerobic Regimens: As little as one hour a week of aerobic exercises is helpful, but three to four
hours per week are optimal. Some research indicates that simply walking briskly for three or more hours a week reduces the risk for coronary heart disease by 65%.

In general, the following guidelines are useful for most individuals:

For most healthy young adults, the best approach is a mix of low and higherimpact exercise. Two weekly workouts will maintain fitness, but three to five sessions a week is better.
People who are out of shape or elderly should start aerobic training gradually. For example, they may start with five to 10 minutes of lowimpact aerobic activity every other day and build toward a goal of 30 minutes per day, three to seven times a week. (For heart protection, frequency of exercises may be more important than duration.)

Swimming is an ideal exercise for many elderly and certain people with physical limitations,
including pregnant women, individuals with muscle, joint, or bone problems, and those who suffer from exerciseinduced asthma.
People who seek to lose weight should aim for six to seven lowimpact workouts a week.
One way of gauging the optimal intensity of exercise is to aim for a talking pace," which is enough to work up a sweat and still be able to converse with a friend without gasping for breath. As fitness increases, the talking pace will become faster and faster.

Aerobic Exercise Guidelines:

Frequency: 35 days per week
Duration: 20 to 60 minutes of continuous aerobic activity
Intensity:
50 85% of maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max), or
5085% of Heart Rate Reserve, or
6090% of Maximal Heart Rate
Low Intensity: 3560% of Heart Rate Max or 5060% of Heart Rate Reserve
Moderate Intensity: 6080% of Heart Rate Max or 6070% of Heart Rate Reserve
High Intensity: 8090% of Heart Rate Max or 7085% of Heart Rate Reserve

The aerobic exercise should be continuous in order to increase the heart rate and keep it elevated. Moreover, it is thought that 3040 minutes of aerobic exercise has the added benefit of increasing t he production of endorphins, which are pain fighting molecules produced by the body (the release of endorphins probably creates the wellknown "runner¡¦s high" that occurs during exercise).