Dance Aerobics

In this competitive world, many people find it hard to dedicate time for physical activities like exercises, although one of their first priorities is to stay in perfect shape. Here comes the easy method of maintaining a perfect figure - dance aerobics. As the name suggests, dance aerobics is an exercise that combines the rhythmic steps of aerobics with graceful dance movements. It can be broadly divided into four types - high-impact exercises, low-impact exercises, step aerobics and water aerobics. High impact exercises involve intense jumping actions that are synchronized with the rhythmic beats of the music being played. Low impact exercises, the second type of dance aerobics, involves less jumping action, but more of footwork, which are coordinated with the rhythm of the music being played. Step aerobics is performed in a raised platform, while water aerobics is done in waist-deep water. Typically, a dance aerobic exercise is performed for about 20-30 minutes. The steps are performed in a rhythmic way, with 4 or 8 counts. Dance aerobics is a fun activity that helps in strengthening your body, and gives you energy to carry out your day-to-day activities effectively and efficiently. Learn all about the benefits of dance aerobics in the following lines. Benefits Of Aerobic Dance

Dance aerobic workout strengthens the body including the weight bearing bones and cardiovascular muscles. It helps your lose weight as well as builds your body muscles. It is also suitable for those who want to tone their muscles. It is one of the easiest aerobic exercises, which can be enjoyed by people of all age groups, both men and women. However, elderly people should perform the exercise either for short duration or with precautions. It is not recommended for very small children and pregnant women.

Tips

The exercise increases blood circulation and lowers blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Aerobic dance workout increases the circulation of oxygen to heart, lungs and blood vessels for smooth functioning of the body. The workout enhances the efficiency of heart and lungs. It is a great stress buster. It is an interesting activity that deviates you from the drudgery of everyday life. It is an effective remedy for depression, anxiety and tension. Thus, it is helpful for the rejuvenation of the mind. It gives you the freedom to personalize your dance steps. You can choose a music and the dance steps of your choice, say, jazz, disco, hip hop. Dance aerobics is a good workout to boost up your immune system.

Perform warm-up exercises 10-15 minutes before doing dance aerobics. This may include stretching or flexibility exercises, followed by jumping jacks or jogging. Always wear perfect fitting clothes, while doing dance aerobics. Loose-fitting clothes are not good for the exercise, because they restrict the free movement of arms and feet. The preferred attire for dance aerobics is shorts with a jersey. Bring in variations to the dance steps and make the exercise even more personalized. Check out the steps in the exercises shown in television or consult a trainer to know more about innovative dance steps. Do not forget to cool down after performing the exercise. Do stretching exercises for about 10 minutes after the workout. Drink water (not ice-cold) few minutes after the workout.

Low-Impact Aerobics

In today's world, a significant number of people are suffering from chronic ailments like obesity, diabetes, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and other diseases that deteriorate their physical fitness. It will be unkind to suggest them to do high intensity workout, because they either would end up injuring themselves seriously, or would be unable to gain full benefits of such exercise. If you are facing the same situation, and want to stay in perfect shape, opting for low-impact aerobics is suggested. Read on to know more about low-impact aerobic exercise. Low-Impact Aerobic Exercise Low-impact aerobic exercise typically consists of rhythmic movements involving large muscle groups. In this exercise, at least one foot is in constant contact with the floor, which makes it easy to do without putting much strain on the tissues. There is no scope of overuse injuries, which is primarily associated with high-impact exercises, while doing low-impact aerobics. Hence, low-impact aerobics are perfectly suitable for pregnant women, obese people and seniors. It is equally suitable for those, who want haven't exercised for sometime and want to follow a fitness regimen. Some of the best low-impact aerobic exercises are walking, swimming and workout on stationary bikes. As far as walking is concerned, you may start with a slow paced walking, to warm up your body. Do this for five minutes. Walk at a medium pace, for the next ten minutes, followed by brisk walking. It is suggested to do this exercise for about 30 minutes a day. You may walk either in the morning or in evening. Make sure that you wear comfortable pair of shoes. Remember to move your arms in the back and forth action, while walking. Swimming, another low-impact aerobics, is best suitable for overweight people, who might have problem stressing the joints and knees. Start with swimming for about 15 minutes. You may increase the duration for the exercise up to 30 minutes thereafter. Another low-impact aerobic workout is water-walking. It is as effective as swimming. You can also opt for stationary bike exercise. Be sure not to bend your knees beyond a 90-degree angle, while sitting on a stationary bike, if you have problem in stressing the body part. A recumbent bike is the best bet. Low-impact aerobics are perfect for those people who want to flaunt a toned shape. The intensity and duration of the workout can be increased gradually, with time. By doing the exercise on a regular basis, you can attain the much- desired physical fitness. To utilize its effectiveness completely, you should be guided by a well-trained physical trainer. Following a healthy and balanced diet is another pre-requisite for doing low-impact workout. Avoid eating junk food and cut short the consumption of sugary, fried and fatty food. Make sure that your diet consists of food rich in vitamins, minerals and protein, apart from other nutrients. It will be better to consult a dietician about the diet best suitable for your health.

Aerobic Heart Rate

It is of extreme importance to know your target aerobic heart rate, so as to make sure that you are carrying out the right workout and that too in a proper manner. People often tend to get confused as to how to determine target aerobic heart rate. Well, there are different factors, on the basis of which your right heart rate is decided, to say for example, age is one such major factor. We cannot expect a youngster's target heart rate to be the same as that of a 60-year-old man. Target heart rate varies according to the training zone. Healthy heart zone is apt for people who have just entered the fitness parlance. In this stage, your ideal heart rate should be about 50 - 60% of the maximum heart rate. This workout zone basically consists of warm up exercises that enable you to reduce your body fat and lower your blood pressure and cholesterol level. The calorie loss in this stage is about 85%. The fitness zone is basically meant to burn calories and achieve health fitness. Your target heart rate in this stage should be about 60 - 70% of the maximum heart rate. It is a higher intensity workout zone, when compared to warm up zone and it leads to quick weight loss by burning more calories. Talking about the aerobic heart zone, ideal heart rate should be about 70 - 80% of maximum heart rate. This endurance-training zone helps in improving your cardiovascular development and also it helps in strengthening your heart. Here is a chart showing your target heart rate in terms of beats per minute, in accordance to your age: Age 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70 and older Target range (beats/minute) 120-150 117-146 114-142 111-139 108-135 105-131 102-127 99-123 96-120 93-116 90-113

Aerobic Versus Anaerobic Exercise

Aerobic and anaerobic exercises form essential parts of a fitness regimen. Both contribute in maintaining overall health of the person doing them. Simple physical activities such as jogging, brisk walking, rowing, cycling, skiing and swimming are aerobic exercises. High intensity workout such as jumping, weightlifting, stress training workouts and sprinting are categorized as anaerobic exercises. Although we are well aware of aerobic and anaerobic exercises, not many of us know the exact difference between the two. Here in this article, we have analyzed aerobic versus anaerobic exercise. Difference Between Aerobic And Anaerobic Exercise

The literal meaning of aerobics is oxygen. Hence, aerobic exercise can be defined as the one, which involves the use of oxygen to produce energy, whereas anaerobic exercise makes the body to produce energy without using oxygen. Anaerobic exercises are high intensity workouts that are performed for a short time. On the contrary, aerobic exercises generally simple exercises and are performed for a longer time, at moderate intensity. A person doing aerobic exercises requires more endurance, because unlike anaerobic exercise (which is done for a short period), aerobic exercise is done for a long time. Generally, aerobic exercise is performed for about 20 minutes or more. On the other hand, the duration for an anaerobic exercises is two minutes, which can be only sustained for a longer time through proper training. The metabolic processes used by aerobic and anaerobic exercises differentiate them from each other. Although both aerobic and anaerobic exercises produce energy through glycolysis (conversion of glucose into pyruvate), the substance used to break down glucose is different. While oxygen is used to break down glucose by aerobic exercise, the anaerobic exercises make use of phosphocreatine, stored in the muscles, for the process.

Aerobic and anaerobic exercises are done to accomplish individual goals. Aerobic exercises concentrate on strengthening and the muscles involved in respiration. It improves the circulation of blood and transportation of oxygen in the body, reduces blood pressure and burns fat. On the other hand, anaerobic exercise helps build strength and muscle mass, stronger bones and increases speed, power, muscle strength and the metabolic rate as well. It concentrates on burning the calories, when the body is in rest.

When you perform aerobic exercise, you will notice an increase in the heart beat rate and the rise in your level of respiration. Energy is provided by carbohydrate and fats, when you work out the muscles. On the other hand, the sources of energy during anaerobic activity are adenosine tri phosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate.

Aerobic Kickboxing
Aerobic kickboxing is one of the most popular forms of aerobic exercises. It is highly beneficial for the health and is a gre at fun to perform. It is an amalgamation of the elements of boxing, martial arts and aerobics. Aerobic kickboxing is also termed as 'boxing aerobics' and 'cardio boxing'. It includes a variety of kicks, punches, knee strikes and self defense moves. The exercise is especially beneficial for women, because it is a great defense technique. Apart from being an exercise for self defense, it also aids in loosing weight at a fast pace, thereby helping you to achieve your goal of a beautiful, toned body shape. You may perform this exercise for about half an hour on a regular basis. Go through the following lines to know all about aerobic kickboxing exercise. Aerobic Kickboxing Exercise

The best part of aerobic kickboxing is that it can be performed at a relaxing atmosphere. You can do it at your own pace. You can play a background music, to do the highly energetic exercise. In fact, music will make the activity even more interesting.

Tips

The best way to start the exercise is to do warm up. Perform warm up exercises and stretches for about ten minutes, before doing cardio boxing. It is the first step of the exercise. The second and third part of the exercise involves kicking and punching technique. The activity is culminated by cooling down the body. After performing the stunts of the activity, cool down your body for about five minutes. At the end of the kickboxing aerobics session, you will feel more energetic to perform your daily chore.

Remember, kickboxing aerobics is a high intensity, high impact form of exercise. Therefore, check your fitness level first, before attempting to perform the exercise. Prepare yourself for the exercise, by performing low-intensity aerobics first and then work up to a high level of endurance. There is no uniform specially designed for performing aerobic kickboxing. You can perform the exercise wearing your aerobic suit. Just be sure that you do not wear loose-fitting clothes, because they can restrict the free flow of your movements, while performing the exercise.

You should take special care while performing the stunts, especially if you are a beginner. While turning your knee, make sure that you do it with the correct speed, because incorrect speed and timings can cause damage to your joints. Do not kick too high, because it often puts strains on the joints and muscles. You may kick as high as your hips from the ground level, but not higher. While performing a kick, the other foot should provide support to the body. Hence, it should be positioned flat on the floor during the stunt.

Drink plenty of water before and after the session, so that you keep yourself well hydrated.

Chair Aerobics
Chair aerobics exercise serves as the perfect workout for diabetic people, who confront with a number of health related problems, such as congestive heart failure and chronic cardiovascular diseases. The physical activity helps in promoting cardio health and aids in controlling the blood sugar level as well. Apart from diabetic patients, doing chair aerobics is beneficial for elderly people as well, because it requires less stamina. For pregnant women who cannot indulge in doing high intensity exercises, chair aerobic exercise is the best bet. Chair aerobic exercises usually consist of the rhythmic movements of arms and feet, performed by sitting in a chair in an erect position. It is ideal to perform the exercise for 20-30 minutes, on a regular basis. Chair aerobics helps you perform your daily chores energetically, because it helps build the functional capacity of your body. Moreover, they are very low intensity workouts, which make them easy to perform anytime you want, during the day. All you need is a comfortable chair and a peaceful atmosphere, to do the exercise. Read more about chair aerobic exercise in the following lines. Chair Aerobics Workout

Sit in your chair in an erect position, with no gap between your feet. Now, bounce your feet, both together, on one side in a swift manner. Bring the feet back to the original position. Bounce your feet to the other side, in the same manner. Repeat the exercise ten times. It is a nice way to workout your legs.

Sit straight in a chair, keeping your feet a bit apart from each other. Now, bring your right heel and right hand forward. While doing this, the other leg should be on place and the left arm should be positioned sideways. Do this step with your right foot and left arm. Perform this exercise swiftly.

Sit straight in your chair by keeping your feet flat on the floor, wide apart from each other. Now, lift both feet together. Cross them in the air, hold the position for few seconds and then bring them bring them back to the original position. Repeat the exercise fifteen times. Perform the workout daily, for about 20 minutes.

Place your heels together, without leaving a gap between your feet. By sitting in an erect position, push your arms outwards, while moving your heels in a forwards. Get back to the original position after holding the position for a minute or two, and then repeat the exercise. Sit in a chair in an erect position and place your feet, without gap between them. Make sure that your knees touch each

other. Now, slide your feet forward and then get back to the original position, in a swift manner. Now, by keeping the knees joined, separate your right and left foot. Return to the original position, after holding the position for a minute.