Weight Loss - Using Aerobic Exercises to Lose Weight?  

well vineeta,

Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes feel like you're not getting the results you should from your aerobic exercise? If so, then aerobic cross-training is for you.

Aerobic cross-training refers to using two to three different types of aerobic exercise during an exercise session. For example, if you plan to exercise for 60 minutes, you might start with 20 minutes of walking or jogging, followed by 20 minutes of biking, and finish with 20 minutes of rowing.

Now, please don't get the impression that you have to be in great shape to do this or that it has to be 60 minutes long. You can start with something as simple as a ten minute walk followed by ten minutes with an exercise video. This is cross-training too. You can gradually build up from there.

Here are some of the exercises you can use in your cross-training program; walking, jogging, biking, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, exercise videos, etc. Any combination of aerobic exercises will do. You simply go from one to the next with very little time between them.

Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to you in several ways:

1. It provides variety which eliminates the monotony often associated with doing the same exercise for a long period of time.

2. If your exercise sessions are less monotonous and more enjoyable, you are much more likely to exercise more often and for longer periods of time.

3. You are less prone to over-use injuries that sometimes occur from doing the same exercise movements over and over again.

4. You tone more muscles because you are using more muscles. For example, walking tones mostly the lower body muscles and rowing tones upper body muscles also. Even exercises like walking and biking that both tone lower body muscles, tone them at different angles and each tones some small muscles that the other doesn't.

5. Aerobic conditioning is very specific to the muscles being worked. For example, you can walk ten miles a day and still be somewhat breathless after climbing stairs because you haven't trained the muscles for that specific movement. Aerobic cross-training allows you to develop more comprehensive aerobic training.

6. Aerobic cross-training is effective for weight loss because your are toning and training the fat-burning systems of more of your muscles. It turns more of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning machines! You are also more likely to exercise on a regular basis and for longer periods of time. this also promotes weight loss and fitness.

Answered by Priyanka C , an ibibo Master, at 10:18 AM on December 22, 2008

Everyday, it seems, we hear of some new truths, which may contradict what we have always accepted about a certain element of health and fitness. This can be related to the amount of minerals or vitamins you should or should not consume, the amount of exercise, particularly aerobic exercise, you should have and so on.

What is Aerobic Exercise?

Some popular examples of aerobic exercise include walking, cycling, aerobic dancing and swimming. The exercises should include leg muscles, hips, and arm muscles along with large volumes of inhalation and exhalation.

Advantages of Aerobic Exercise

There is a whole range of benefits that come from doing aerobic exercises including better blood circulation and respiration. Other benefits are enhanced muscle shape and tone plus a feeling of good overall health. But the most significant benefit of aerobic exercise is its effect on weight loss.

A Common Truth Disproved

Until recently is was generally assumed that if you exercised with medium intensity for prolonged periods of time this would be the most effective means to burn off fat. However, several studies and findings from fitness experts have shown that continuous hours of aerobic exercise such as jogging is not as successful in burning off fat as it was once thought to be. Many people report that even after long periods of jogging they still had excessive fat on their bodies.

Best Fat Burning Method

Instead of these long periods of exercise it was found that high-intensity exercise for shorter periods was not only less time consuming but also it proved more effective for fat loss. The reasoning is that the metabolism is kept at a higher level for a longer period of time, which resulted in more calories burned. Some examples of these high-intensity exercises are weight training and aerobic intervals exercise.

Another great exercise is spinning on a stationary bike. This should be done for a period of not less than 20 minutes along with sprints of 30 to 60 seconds duration. This is an easy routine to do and won't impact your joints like jogging on a hard surface. If you enjoy running and you aren't bothered with joint pain you're better off on a surface such as grass, dirt, or a running track. Try to avoid running on hard surfaces as much as possible to prevent developing joint and spinal injuries.

Aerobic Exercise and Your Heart

In addition to weight loss your cardiovascular system stands to benefit tremendously from your aerobic exercises. Your heart, of course, is a muscle and is capable of working for many decades. Your heart does not have to be trained like other muscles in your body unless you participate in endurance events. It may be necessary to train the heart to withstand severe emotional and physical stress. High intensity exercises will help your heart to endure many challenging situations.

Answered by Seema , an ibibo Master, at 3:44 PM on December 21, 2008