For overall good health, aerobic exercise is a necessary component for weight control and cardiovascular fitness. Along with strength training and stretching, cardio workouts provide a means to test your body so it can better handle real-life stress situations. Your body requires the stimulation which exercise provides. A 2009 study by the University of Missouri explains that stress associated with exercise is essential for good health and the prevention of negative physiological changes in the human body.
Exercise Zones
You can classify aerobic exercise into three main fitness zones. Each zone provides specific health benefits. The zones fall into percentages of your maximum heart rate, which is 220 minus your age. Light aerobic activity raises your heart rate to 50 percent to 70 percent of this figure. This intensity level is ideal for weight loss. Moderate activity falls within 70 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. Exercising at this rate will improve your aerobic endurance. Vigorous effort at 80 percent to 90 percent of your heart rate is for performance training.
Fat Burn
You may engage in aerobic exercise to burn fat. The good news is that you needn't exercise at an intense level to accomplish this goal. A 1995 study by the 62nd Medical Group found that an increase in exercise intensity results in greater fat burn. Rather, fat loss is a factor of energy expenditure or simply the amount of calories you burn. Vigorous exercise means you will burn calories faster, however, you will still burn fat at a less intense levels.
Fitness Goals
You can tailor your aerobic exercise to your fitness goals. Wearing a heart monitor will provide this information real time. Alternatively, you can take your pulse while exercising or use the rated perceived exertion scale. The premise behind the scale is that you rate your effort on a scale between 1 and 10 based on what you feel is the effort that you are expending. The numbers can correspond with the percentages within the fitness zones. For example, a 5 equals about 50 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Disease Prevention
If weight control is not enough of a motivator, your aerobic exercise is one way in which you can take control of your health and help prevent the onset of chronic health conditions. A 2010 study by the University of East Anglia explains that exercise can reduce your risk of developing about 25 health conditions, thus supporting the 2009 findings by the University of Missouri. While you cannot control your genetics, aerobic exercise gives you a means to improve your cardiovascular health and reduce the health complications of being overweight.
References
- American Council on Exercise: Three Things Every Exercise Program Should Have
- "Journal of Physiology"; Lack of AdequateAappreciation of Physical Exercise's Complexities Can Pre-Empt Appropriate Design and Interpretation in Scientific Discovery; F. booth and M. Laye; December 2009
- Polar USA: Exercise Zones
- University of Maryland Medical Center: How Do I Find My Target Heart Zone?
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; Exercise Intensity Does Not Effect Body Composition Change in Untrained, Moderately Overfat Women; M. Grediagin et al; June 1995
- "International Journal of Clinical Practice"; What Men Should Know about the Impact of Physical Activity on Their Health; L. Alford; December 2010
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