At any health club, you will hear the words aerobics, strength training, toning and cardio. Your gym may even have signage that points to those specific areas of the fitness center. Understanding the difference between these workout types is important so that you use the correct exercise for your fitness goals. According to Dr. Len Kravitz, associate professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico, cardio activities provide different benefits than toning exercises, and he suggests a combination of aerobic and toning exercises to see the most body composition changes.
Aerobics
Aerobic activity is consistent exercise of at least 10 minutes that elevates your heart and breathing rates. The American Council on Exercise expands on the description of aerobic activity to include rhythmic activity that uses your large muscles, and one in which you are supporting your body weight. You may think of aerobics class when you hear the word aerobic, but this type of exercise also includes activities such as walking, cycling, swimming, rowing, stair climbing and jogging, which you participate in for at least 30 minutes a day, five times a week.
Group Exercise
Group aerobic classes focus on your cardiovascular health. An aerobics class will include a variety of dances, marching, jumping jacks and other full body movements to keep your heart rate elevated for the duration of the class. Class begins with a five minute warm-up and ends with a five- to 10-minute cool-down and stretching, but you will be constantly moving throughout the rest of the class.
Toning
Toning exercises are those that improve your muscle tone. You can use free weights, weight machines or your body to add resistance for your exercises. ACE recommends selecting exercises for all your major muscle groups such as your arms, legs, chest, back and stomach. Toning exercises are performed in short durations such as 30 to 60 seconds followed by one to two minutes of rest and are typically performed two to three times a week.
Cardiovascular
Your heart, lungs and blood make up your cardiovascular system. Aerobic activity improves the function of your heart's output by decreasing your resting heart rate yet increasing the amount of blood pumped with each heartbeat. This reduces the workload on your heart. Aerobic exercise also improves the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide from your blood to your cells.
Body Composition
Aerobic activity will change the way your body looks, because you use calories for energy during aerobics, which leads to weight loss and a reduction in body fat. Toning also affects your body composition, burning calories for strength training and also improving your muscle tissue. As your muscle mass increases, so does your metabolism, to help with weight maintenance.
Member Comments