Aerobic activity is important if you participate in sports that require a significant amount of cardiorespiratory fitness. Cheerleading, just as in dance, requires the heart and lungs to work efficiently so you can complete routines. Therefore, an aerobic activity such as jogging should be part of a cheerleader’s workout.
Cheerleading Needs
Cheerleading requires an adequate amount of agility, strength, power, flexibility and cardiorespiratory fitness. Cardiorespiratory fitness is the ability of your heart and lunges to efficiently work together to provide your tissues with oxygen and nutrients. Because a cheerleader is constantly moving, her heart and lungs need to efficiently provide working tissues oxygen and nutrients to fuel the movements. Cheerleading routines can be two to 10 minutes in duration and require jumping, spinning, tumbling and jogging. During competitions, cheerleaders may be required to complete multiple routines over numerous days. The Boise State cheerleading squad, for example, requires each individual trying out for the team to have an adequate cardiorespiratory endurance.
Building Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Regularly participating in aerobic activities develops your cardiorespiratory system. Aerobic exercise activities include workout sessions that require you to maintain movement over a period of time, such as jogging, biking and riding an elliptical machine. To effectively improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, train aerobically three to five days per week with each workout being at least 20 minutes in duration.
Jogging
Because cardiorespiratory fitness is an important component to being a successful cheerleader, some type of cardiorespiratory training should be an integral part of a cheerleader’s workout regimen. Jogging is an aerobic activity that elevates your heart rate and increases your breathing rate, making it effective at developing your cardiorespiratory system. Your heart and lungs must work in the same manner that they do during cheerleading routines. If you’re unable to maintain a jog for 20 minutes, consider breaking up your workout into two jogging sessions of 10 minutes each until you build up your endurance.
Considerations
Jogging is also very effective at burning calories and thus supporting a cheerleader’s healthy body composition. According to MayoClinic.com, jogging is amongst the most efficient calorie-burning cardiovascular exercise. Burning a significant number of calories will help a cheerleader lose body fat or maintain a healthy weight, which will in turn benefit them during their sport. Cheerleaders looking to lose body fat with jogging should progressively increase their jogging workout time to about 60 minutes, a duration the American Council on Exercise recommends for weight loss.
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