High-impact aerobic classes burn a lot of calories and provide a vigorous workout for those in good enough physical shape to participate. Aerobics is sometimes referred to as aerobic dance, and falls into the category of dance fitness classes, which also includes ballroom dance classes, belly dancing, jazz dance, Latin dance, tap dance and Zumba. Dance fitness classes can help with weight loss without being monotonous.
Benefits of Aerobics
Aerobic classes have a number of positive health benefits. They burn calories and lower blood pressure while increasing fitness, muscle endurance, flexibility and mobility. They also reduce stress and improve posture, body performance and muscular strength in all age groups. It is a social form of exercise done with others and the music is energizing. High-impact aerobics means that both feet regularly lose contact with the floor; it involves running, jumping and hopping. In low-impact aerobics, at least one foot keeps contact with the floor throughout the session. Low-impact aerobics is a bit safer when it comes to injury than high-impact, due to less stress on your feet and joints when you land.
Calories Burned
According to MayoClinic.com, high-impact aerobics burns 511 calories per hour for someone weighing 160 lbs. For a 200-lb. person, it burns 637 calories, and for a 240-lb. person, 763 calories. In comparison, low-impact aerobics burns 365 calories per hour for a 160-lb. person, 455 calories per hour for a 200-lb. person and 545 calories per hour for someone weighing 240 lbs.
Starting Out
Consider your exercise goals before you start doing aerobics. You can figure out whether you are most interested in losing weight, toning your muscles, relieving stress or improving your overall fitness and well-being. The more often you work out, the better your results, but doing aerobics every other day is usually better than daily. If you are just beginning to work out, a lower-intensity class of 25 to 60 minutes three times a week might be best. These type classes may have names like beginner's aerobics, easy step aerobics, low-impact aerobics and aqua aerobics.
More Experience
If you have been exercising on a regular basis, consider a medium-intensity class of 35 to 60 minutes four times a week. Medium intensity is usually a mix of high and low impact. These classes might have names like high/low impact, step, circuit training or body sculpting. If you are an active exerciser, you could engage in high-intensity classes of 25 to 50 minutes five days a week. They may have names like high/low impact, interval, athletic/power step and boxing aerobics.
Member Comments