Benefits Of Aerobic Exercise And Guidelines To Ensure Your Workouts Are Really Aerobic

By Jasmine Greene

"Aerobics" was first coined by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, an exercise physiologist at San Antonio Air Force Hospital. He developed the formula of subtracting your age from 220 and exercising with the heart rate at 60-80% of that number. Though originally formulated to help astronauts, the benefits of "aerobics" made Dr. Cooper realize that this type of exercise is useful for everyone.

Since that time, the original formula has been improved, and studies have shown several benefits of regular aerobic exercise, such as:

*Weight loss & maintaining weight (aerobic exercise burns fat!)

*Increased long-term energy and stamina

*Improved mood

*Pain relief (by natural endorphin production)

*Stronger heart and better circulation (by keeping arteries clear and preventing heart disease)

*Better blood sugar control and adrenal health

*Lower blood pressure

*Stronger bones and prevention of osteoporosis

*Stronger immune system

*Longer life expectancy

If you're suffering from low energy, dwindling endurance, aches and pains, excessive body fat, stress, or if you crave sugar or carbs, chances are you're not getting enough aerobic exercise!

There are two basic criteria that set aerobic exercise apart from anaerobic: intensity and time. To exercise aerobically, your body must be at a very specific level of intensity, and you must maintain that level of intensity for at least thirty minutes at a time. If your heart rate is too low or too high (or variable), your exercise will become anaerobic instead.

During true aerobic exercise, the body burns fat for energy. This process requires oxygen, hence the term "aerobic." Aerobic exercise is useful for improving muscle endurance (allowing them to function for hours or days at a time without fatigue). This is especially important for those muscles that support posture, joints, and the arches of the feet. Therefore, if there is not sufficient aerobic exercise, the chances of joint problems, injuries, and low stamina increase.

In anaerobic exercise, the body burns sugar (glucose) for energy. No oxygen is required for this type of energy production. Burning sugar provides short term speed and power. Muscles cannot burn sugar for long, however, and so they fatigue quickly. Most people have no shortage of anaerobic exercise; even while seated, the body runs many tasks anaerobically, and virtually all sports are anaerobic due to their alternating bursts of high intensity (anaerobic) exercise and rest.

Internationally recognized researcher and author Dr. Phil Maffetone has greatly changed our understanding of aerobic exercise and endurance training. Dr. Maffetone studied many athletes pre- and post-workout for many indicators, including heart rate, gait, and muscle imbalance. He found that the athletes who used Dr. Cooper's original formula often over-trained and suffered from injuries, distortions in body mechanics and posture, pain, and joint problems. After much work, Dr. Maffetone developed a new and improved formula for calculating each individual's target heart rate for true aerobic exercise.

Follow these four simple steps to ensure your training is aerobic and to enjoy all the benefits of aerobic exercise:

1. Invest in a heart rate monitor. It's just not a good idea to rely on the "feel" of a workout or to guess at whether your heart rate is too low or too high. There are many brands and models to choose from. Polar is an industry leader and is usually a safe bet. I recommend purchasing a model that has a chest strap as well as a wrist watch/display. If you work out in a gym rather than outdoors, invest in a model that is coded so that there is no electrical signal interference from other devices in the gym.

2. Calculate your maximum aerobic heart rate using Dr. Maffetone's formula. Just subtract your age from 180 to calculate your maximum aerobic heart rate. For example, a 33 year old who wants to exercise aerobically would have a maximum heart rate of 147 beats per minute. Modifiers and exceptions to this formula are as follows:

*Subtract another 10 from the maximum aerobic heart rate if: recovering from major illness or surgery, or if on any regular medications.

*Subtract another 5 from the max heart rate if: injured, have regressed in training or competition, suffer from more than two bouts of cold/flu per year, have allergies or asthma, just starting to train, or if you've been training inconsistently (Dr. Maffetone defined consistency as at least 4 times per week for 2 years).

*Add 5 to the max heart rate if: training consistently for more than 2 years without injuries or problems and have made progress in competition.

*Add 10 to the max heart rate if you're over the age of 65.

*This formula does not apply to athletes 16 years old or younger. Best bet for these athletes is 165 as the max heart rate.

*If in doubt, choose the lower maximum heart rate.

3. Calculate your minimum aerobic heart rate by subtracting 10 from the max aerobic heart rate. For a healthy 34 year old, the max heart rate is 146 and the minimum is 136.

4. Walk, jog, swim or bike while wearing your heart rate monitor. Stay within your aerobic heart rate zone for at least 30 minutes at a time, and at least three times a week. I don't recommmend exceeding 90 minutes without a doctor's supervision.

You'll find it's surprisingly easy to exercise aerobically. It doesn't take much to get your heart rate up to the target zone. That's good news for couch potatoes (talk about exercising smarter, not harder!), but sometimes frustrating for athletes who don't want to slow down their training. Athletes need to do this, however, to protect their bodies. The good news for athletes here is that, as your heart becomes more aerobically fit, you'll soon be able to quicken the pace without surpassing your maximum aerobic heart rate. Once you start wearing a heart rate monitor, you'll likely also discover that any activity other than running, walking, cycling, or swimming at a steady pace is anaerobic.

As a chiropractor and acupuncturist, I've noticed substantial benefits for both myself and my patients who invest a little bit of time each week to exercise aerobically. The immediate and long-term benefits are well worth the effort!

About the Author:

Jasmine Greene is an educator on health, wellness, and holistic medicine. Are you looking for a Glen Ellyn Chiropractor? Consider a visit to Kinesis Healthcare.

Can HIIT With Weights Produce Maximum Muscle In Less Time?

By Howe Russ

Most folks at the gym would like to discover how to build muscle as quickly and effectively as possible. Today's post will teach you how to get a six pack in 3 minutes per day and also how to apply the same rules to build other areas of the body in double quick time.

If you have been spending hour after hour toiling away in the gym to no improvement, you're about to discover a whole new way of training which will undoubtedly kick-start your interest in the gym. []

There are two things which will play an absolutely vital role in not only producing more lean gains, but stopping you from reaching a plateau. They are intensity and variety. Variety is as simple as changing your program whenever you feel it is no longer challenging you. This could mean increasing a weight or doing more reps, simply things like that.

Your body's main job is to keep you alive. To do this, it will learn how to adapt to the challenges you throw at it. It doesn't want to build more lean tissue, it needs to be forced into it. If you have been training with the exact same plan for three months then it is no surprise your body has adapted to it and no further progress is being made.

Try to keep every single workout different from the last. Even if the changes are relatively small, you'll notice great improvements in your results.

Intensity levels are often misunderstood. No, increasing your intensity in the gym does not simply mean blasting through exercises at maximum speed. You should never sacrifice good lifting technique for anything, no matter whether it's more weight or more speed. Intensity means keeping your rest periods to a minimum, that's all.

The shock factor of hitting the body with new, unfamiliar exercises and also keeping rest times down is enough to spur new growth in even the hardest of gainers.

To put this into context with a routine designed to focus on your abdominal area, try this simple but brutal workout today: []

* Crunch

* Bicycle Crunch

* Elevated Plank

It might look easy on paper, but it is not to be underestimated. Try moving from exercise-to-exercise with 30 seconds on each movement and no rest at all. Take a 60 second breather at the end of the circuit and then start over. Two rounds would only take 3 minutes, but it will really test your fitness levels.

It is true that the simple session above can effectively help you to learn how to get a six pack in 3 minutes or slightly longer. The important thing to remember after you have tried it, of course, is that you can also apply this method to training any body part you wish. Incorporate it into your next chest workout and watch how much more difficult it becomes. The key to learning how to build muscle on a regular basis lies in your ability to adapt and configure your training to suit your goals.

About the Author:

About the author: The new video from Russ Howe PTI uncovers how to get a six pack in 3 minutes per day without any training equipment. If you want to learn how to build muscle quickly , grab his free walk through instruction guide.

Is HIIT Good For Muscle Growth?

By Howe Russ

Despite growing in popularity over the last ten years or so, HIIT remains an area of health and fitness still shrouded in mystery. If you are attempting to determine how to build muscle effectively this is one area you definitely need to look into.

Today we're going to be looking at this form of cardiovascular exercise and answering the all important question. Is it good for hypertrophy?

While there are certainly multiple benefits to be had from a good cardiovascular exercise plan, most people don't find cardio as interesting as weight training. This is particularly true with men, who seem far more interested in resistance workouts than hitting the treadmill or elliptical trainer.

Naturally, this behavior stems from a largely untrue stereotype that cardio is for women and weights are for men. This age old belief is something which has held countless gym members back for years and it's built upon lies.

In fact, everybody needs to do some form of cardio if they want to get fitter and stronger. No matter whether your are a man or a woman, if you wish to get leaner you should be performing some form of cardiovascular exercise alongside your resistance routine. One of the best methods is high intensity interval training.

There is a massive difference between the steady pace of regular cardio, often billed as boring, compared to that of a high intensity session. Despite being performed on the same equipment, it's a completely different style of workout.

Interval training is very simple when you get down to the finer details of it. Basically your aim is to switch from a moderate level to a high level every so often, causing your body to be unable to adapt. This will have similar effects on your muscles to a resistance workout.

The two primary energy sources we use during exercise are called aerobic and anaerobic. During regular cardio workouts we use our aerobic system. However, during both resistance training and high intensity intervals we use the anaerobic system instead.

Due to the fact that our body uses the same energy system during interval training as we do for resistance workouts, we actually burn calories in the same way. You may have already heard that a resistance workout causes your body to continue burning calories at an increased rate for hours after you leave the gym. This also happens with interval training, whereas regular cardio doesn't have these 'afterburn' benefits.

Despite growing in popularity over the last few years, HIIT remains a largely unused form of cardiovascular exercise. Most gym users believe that they need to punish themselves with long, dull sessions on bikes and treadmills to lose fat and it is simply not true. If you are learning how to build muscle more effectively, this form of training will work very nicely alongside your resistance training.

About the Author:

Further info: Russ Howe PTI coaches people in the gym each day. If you'd like to know how to build muscle or require advice on a good hiit routine, his videos will get you on the right track.

Will Dieting Or Exercising Lead To More Weight Loss?

By Howe Russ

You have probably heard people in gyms around the world asking the question is diet more important than exercise so today we are going to help you get to the bottom of this popular issue.

It would seem the typical answer you get to this question would vary depending upon who you asked. If you ask somebody who has religiously followed weight loss plans and celebrity culture for a while there is a large chance that they will concur dieting plays the bigger role.

Of course, if you pay a visit to the other end of the spectrum and speak to somebody who loves going to the gym you would hear the direct opposite answer. You'll be told that you can get away with eating your favorite snacks and junk foods providing you are able to put in the work in the weights room to burn them off. The big question is which approach is the right one?

Actually, it's neither.

One of the biggest, yet most common, mistakes is for people to attempt to prioritize one aspect over another. You'll hear things like percentages being used, with people often telling others than exercise is 60 percent of the deal whereas nutrition is the other 40 percent.

At the end of the day you should be applying both factors if you want to see results and maintain them. If you are trying to work out how to lose weight and you only apply the rules of one principle you will tend to fall into one of two categories, both of which can be seen at most gyms and workplaces around the world:

* The person who consistently follows new eating plans, often picked up from celebrity gossip magazines or New Year weight loss plans. They don't combine this with regular exercise, though, and even though they are able to drop some pounds through a healthier lifestyle they don't actually look any healthier at all. They haven't worked out, so their body is no more toned than it was three months ago.

* Those who love training in the gym but hate watching their nutrition. Sure, they may down a protein shake after a tough workout, but that is as far as it goes. When outside the confines of the local gym they will happily consume junk food, takeaway meals and alcohol on a regular basis. While their workout sessions will lead this person to developing some shape and tone to the biggest muscles in their body, they tend to struggle when it comes to toning their abdominal area and achieve a stocky, square look.

If you only pay attention to one factor, or you choose to place way more importance on one over the other, then your destiny is shown in the two stereotypes revealed above. Why would you do this? As somebody trying to build a better body, it simply would not make sense.

It's almost like trying to decide whether fuel is more important than your car. At the end of the day, neither is very useful on their own. The correct approach is to apply both factors to your lifestyle and realize that neither is more important than the other. They are not in competition for your attention, they are two things which are designed to work together. If you are able to apply the basic principles of a good nutritional plan and a healthy workout program you will see positive change and the results will be sustainable, too.

To sum up, listen to bodybuilder Jay Cutler's response when he was recently asked the question is diet more important than exercise or vice versa. Jay advised that placing importance on one over the other is a useless mentality which leads to long term failure and you should be focusing 100 percent on your workout routine as well as 100 percent on your eating habits. Most people aren't trying to become champion bodybuilders, of course, but if you apply a similar mentality to your fitness regime you will notice that discovering how to lose weight isn't rocket science after all.

About the Author:

About the author: Find out how to lose weight with the UK's most watched Personal Trainer Russ Howe PTI for free. Now, is diet more important than exercise? Check out his website for more tips every week.

Why It's Impossible To Build Muscle And Lose Weight Simultaneously

By Russ Howe

If you walk into any gym and ask a person for their fitness goals, it's likely you'll hear them tell you that they want to learn how to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously. The trouble is most people don't accomplish either goal.

In today's article we will show you the main obstacle which prevents a lot of individuals from accomplishing their long-term goal.

The main reason these individuals often struggle to see any positive results from their hard efforts in the gym is that they lack focus. Like most things in life, if you want to achieve something you need to be clear about what exactly you are trying to accomplish. That rule also applies to the gym.

Those who want to learn how to lose weight need to know that the first rule is calorie deficits. In order to drop unwanted body weight you must consume less than you do right now. The thing is, this is the direct opposite of the instruction for building.

Those who are looking to build an impressive muscular physique will need to work at a calorie surplus, meaning that they have to consume more calories per day than they currently do right now.

When results from your new healthy lifestyle start to slow down you will reach the crossroads which call for you to make a decision. What direction to you want to go in? The two proven calorie rules cannot co-exist, after all. Most people never set this goal and struggle to see any change, instead just treading water in the gym years after year.

Take some time and work out what you believe is more important right now. In the next three months you should focus purely on one thing. Once you reach your desired level, begin focusing on the other.

Once 'Goal A' has been achieved you can move straight on to 'Goal B.'

By separating each goal you will notice results far easier to come by.

When it comes to hypertrophy the old principles haven't changed much over the years, either. If you deem your primary goal to be adding size and strength then you should apply some of the old classic rules such as compound exercises, high carbohydrates and plenty of good sleep.

Figuring out how to lose weight or how to build muscle isn't rocket science. The fact is most people already know the basics, such as calorie deficits and surpluses, but they struggle to separate each goal and never truly get any further forward as a result.

About the Author:

About today's writer: Russ Howe PTI is the UK's most subscribed personal trainer. If you want to know how to build muscle or how to lose weight our easy video guides will help you get the most from your training.

Practical Types To Lose Weight Fast

By Caroline Monroe

Is it practical to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, or 20 pounds in 30 days? You bet it is. And with proper exercise, nourishment and supplements you can accomplish the body you want in a portion of the time. I have actually been looking into the quickest methods to drop weight safely and I wish to find something that has actually changed fat burning today. The low carb diet plan burns the most calories in a small study and today I wish to go over the "slow-carb diet plan." With this diet plan you will have the ability to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, dropping inches off of your waist and flab from your belly, and this is ways to do it.

I've discussed it prior to in this post, however it bears repeating. Do not eat anything that is, or can be considered "white." This implies that you are forbidden to consume many carbs, including white breads, pastas, many grain products, as well as cracker-type deals with. Think about some other white things too, like flour, potato items, rice, and even processed milk. If you stay clear of any and every treat that is white, you will be safe.

Lots of athletes, bodybuilders and major dieters and health nuts consume the exact same thing every day. The successful ones do that is. And regardless of whether their goal is to acquire muscle, slim down, or anything in between, they consume the exact same meals over and over once again.

The products that numerous successful dieters eat are proteins in the form of lean beef, egg whites, and chicken busts. They likewise do not keep back on the veggies including, green spinach, broccoli and asparagus. And they treat on vegetables like they are heading out of design. And black grains and lentils are contributed to numerous meals for energy.

The thing that upsets people from a low-carb diet plan is that they feel an absence of energy in the beginning phases of the diet plan. This is due to an absence of calories that they are eating, not constantly exactly what they are consuming. You see, a typical bowl of pasta has around 300 calories in it, while the exact same amount of green spinach only has 25 calories. So when you try the slow-carb diet it is important that you load up on the lentils and grains to compensate for the lack of calories that you would usually be consuming.

The timing of your meals does not matter too much in the end, the only thing to bear in mind is to eat your meals at least 3 hours apart. This will allow suitable absorption and processing of fats, along with leave you time to be starving later. In between these meals is when your body burns fat. Leaving too much time in between meals sends a signal to your body that there is "famine" which you need to hang on to the fat that you have. So consuming about every 3 to 4 hours is an excellent start for maximum weight loss.

Drink as much water as you 'd such as. Holding around a half gallon of water with you may appear like an inconvenience, nonetheless so is holding around 20 pounds of added fat. Drinking water assists flush out the toxins left in your body in addition to enhance satiety throughout the day and in between meals. Prevent at all expenditures any milk product and services, soft drinks, fruit juices and alcohol as these only include fats and sugars that do nothing however add fat to your belly and in many cases make you more thirsty than if you didn't eat anything at all. The periodic glass of red wine is ok, due to the fact that I love fat burning, however I delight in wine more.:).

I suggest that you take 1 cheat pause per week. What is a cheat day you might be asking. A cheat day is where you enable yourself to eat anything that you desire. This tosses everything out the window that I simply went over consisting of breads, juices and carbs. This helps you how? In 3 methods. One, consuming in this way once regular assists improve your metabolic process. Eating a stringent diet plan can lead your metabolism to decrease as your body gets use to exactly what you give it. Eating in overload for one day keeps your body on it's toes per say. 2, you need a psychological break. Eating so stringently is tough and having a cheat day to look forward to assists you push with the days you do not wish to eat your green spinach. And 3, over eating to the point that you'r ill makes you mention "I do not need to do that again", and it is simpler to leap back into the swing of things the next day.

About the Author:

Learn more about how to lose weight. Stop by Caroline Monroe's site where you can find out all about ways to lose weight and what weight loss can do for you.

Three Things you Can Change To Lose Weight Quickly

By Caroline Monroe

Is it viable to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, or 20 pounds in 30 days? You wager it is. And with appropriate exercise, nutrition and supplements you can complete the body you prefer in a portion of the time. I have actually been looking into the quickest means to drop weight securely and I wish to find something that has transformed fat burning today. The reduced carb diet plan burns the most calories in a small study and today I want to review the "slow-carb diet plan." With this diet plan you will have the ability to lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks, dropping inches off of your waist and flab from your belly, and this is means to do it.

I've discussed it prior to in this post, nevertheless it bears repeating. Do not eat anything that is, or can be thought about "white." This signifies that you are prohibited to consume lots of carbs, including white breads, pastas, many grain products, in addition to cracker-type deals with. Think about some other white things too, like flour, potato products, rice, as well as processed milk. If you avoid any and every meals that is white, you will be safe.

Numerous athletes, bodybuilders and significant dieters and wellness nuts eat the exact same thing every day. The effective ones do that is. And regardless of whether their objective is to acquire muscle, slim down, or anything between, they consume the exact same meals over and over once again.

The items that numerous successful dieters consume are proteins in the form of lean beef, egg whites, and chicken busts. They also do not keep back on the veggies consisting of, green spinach, broccoli and asparagus. And they treat on veggies like they are heading out of design. And black grains and lentils are contributed to lots of meals for energy.

Things that upsets individuals from a low-carb diet plan is that they feel an absence of energy in the beginning stages of the diet plan. This is due to an absence of calories that they are consuming, not always exactly what they are consuming. You see, an usual bowl of pasta has around 300 calories in it, while the same amount of spinach just has 25 calories. When you attempt the slow-carb diet it is important that you load up on the lentils and beans to make up for the absence of calories that you would generally be consuming.

The timing of your meals does not matter too much in the end, the only thing to bear in mind is to eat your meals at least 3 hours apart. This will allow appropriate absorption and processing of fats, along with leave you time to be starving later. In between these meals is when your body burns fat. Leaving too much time in between meals sends out a signal to your body that there is "famine" which you should hang on to the fat that you have. So eating about every 3 to 4 hours is a terrific start for optimal fat loss.

Beverage as much water as you 'd such as. Holding around a half gallon of water with you may resemble a hassle, nonetheless so is holding around 20 pounds of additional fat. Drinking water helps eliminate the toxins left in your body in addition to increase satiety throughout the day and between meals. Stay clear of at all expenses any milk services and product, soft drinks, fruit juices and alcohol as these only consist of fats and sugars that do nothing however include fat to your belly and in some cases make you more thirsty than if you didn't consume anything. The periodic glass of red wine is ok, due to the fact that I love fat burning, however I take pleasure in wine more.:).

I suggest that you take 1 cheat pause per week. Exactly what is a cheat day you might be asking. A cheat day is where you enable yourself to consume anything that you want. This tosses everything out the window that I just went over consisting of breads, juices and carbs. This assists you how? In three techniques. One, consuming in this manner when weekly helps increase your metabolism. Eating a rigid diet plan can lead your metabolism to decrease as your body gets use to precisely what you offer it. Eating in overload for one day keeps your body on it's toes per say. Two, you require a psychological break. Eating so stringently is difficult and having a cheat day to anticipate assists you push with the days you don't want to eat your spinach. And 3, over eating to the point that you'r ill makes you mention "I do not should do that once again", and it is less complex to jump back into the swing of things the next day.

About the Author:

Looking to find the best advice onhow to lose weight, then visit Caroline Monroe's site to find the best advice on weight loss for your body type.