One of the best ways to protect your health is by following the advice of the American Heart Association. As strong advocates of physical activity, the AHA recommends aerobic exercise programs as a way to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, lower your risk of developing heart disease and manage your weight. Before getting started, however, make sure to talk to your doctor, especially if you already have a medical condition, experience painful symptoms during or after exercise, or are new to aerobic exercise.
History
In 1968, Dr. Kenneth G. Cooper wrote a book titled "Aerobics," and in doing so gave this form of exercise its name. By definition, the term aerobic means "with oxygen," an appropriate name for a type of exercise focusing on heart and lung fitness. To accomplish this, aerobic exercises center on brisk, continuous and rhythmic movements using large muscle groups in your legs, buttocks, chest and back. Performing aerobic exercises forces your lungs to take in more oxygen and your heart to beat faster to get that oxygen to your muscles. In addition to being a great way to burn fat, over time this causes both your heart and lungs to become stronger.
Types
Your aerobic exercise program can include a wide variety of exercise types, both on land and in water, indoors or outside, individually or within a group. The Cleveland Clinic provides examples that include walking or jogging, biking, and swimming, and exercises using equipment you can find at most any gym, such as ski machines, stair steppers and ellipticals. Other examples include jumping rope, Jazzercise classes and water aerobics classes.
Program Details
When you begin an aerobic exercise program, include five minutes of warm-ups, five minutes of aerobic activity and five minutes of cool-down activities, advises the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Perform this beginning routine three or four times a week. As you become accustomed to exercising, your goal should be to increase the aerobics portion of your program to at least 20 minutes each time you exercise.
The goal of each session is to reach 60 percent to 80 percent of the maximum heart rate for your age. To calculate this number, subtract your age from 220, and then find the percentage. For example, if you are 53 years of age, 220 minus 53 equals 167, so 167 is your maximum rate. Your target heart rate will be 100 to 134 beats per minute. To see where you are as you exercise, stop exercising and take your pulse, counting beats for 15 seconds. Multiply the number you get by 4 to determine your current heart rate.
Considerations
To avoid injuries and to make sure you use all your large muscle groups, alternate the aerobic exercises you perform. Exercises such as running or jogging are good for your lower leg muscles, jumping rope is good for your ankles, biking is good for your upper leg muscles and swimming is good for your upper body and back muscles.
References
- American Heart Association: Physical Activity
- Cooper Aerobics: Aerobics
- Cleveland Clinic: Heart and Vascular Health and Prevention -- What is the Best Type of Aerobic Exercise?
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Aerobic Exercise
- The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: Starting an Exercise Program
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