How To Do Aerobics (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

Generally speaking, aerobic exercises require you to work the largest muscle groups, such as arms and legs. By increasing the rate of breathing and heart rate, you increase the flow of oxygen to the muscles and allow the blood flow to clear the build-up of carbon dioxide and lactic acid in the muscles. The results of regular aerobic activity are a reduction in blood pressure and cholesterol, improved lung function, a lower resting heart rate and better cardiovascular health, weight loss and muscle definition. While it is possible to do this type of physical activity by running or playing basketball, when we talk about aerobics, we are referring to a specific type of exercise that often incorporates music and dance-like movements to make the activity fun and interesting.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Preparing for an Aerobic Workout

Step 1. Determine what kind of aerobic workout you need

Some people prefer to put together their own training regimen, but this often requires finding the program you like best. Aerobics sessions tend to have many factors to consider when signing up for one. Here are some of the most important:

Gym or home? Do you prefer to go to the gym or do your exercises at home with a DVD player, YouTube video or something similar?
The type of aerobic training. There are different styles, including:
- Specific audiences: aerobics for older people, men, pregnant women, and so on.
- Specific themes: "military" training, martial arts, hip hop dance, salsa, etc.
The instructor. Sessions tend to focus on instructions from the driver (whether in person or virtual) and if that's not right for you, it could ruin your experience. Different aerobics instructors will each have different personalities, sensibilities and attitudes.
High impact or low impact. This will be explained in more detail throughout this article.
Your current physical condition. If you're in top shape, a very energetic training program is probably fine for you. If however you are just starting out, you will need a more novice oriented program.

Step 2. Allow enough time for training to meet physical activity recommendations

Whatever your goal - losing weight or improving your health - you won't see or feel any changes in your body if you don't exercise regularly.

The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults do at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (low-impact aerobics) or 75 minutes of intense aerobic activity (high-impact aerobics) per week.
A one-hour low-impact aerobics class is not enough to meet the standards set by experts for a healthy lifestyle. Set aside time for your training goals during the week.
Another way to respect the recommendations of the experts is to increase the heart rate for half an hour a day, resting for a few days a week.
If you are trying to lose weight, you should devote more time to physical activity, because the recommendations described represent the minimum guidelines for a healthy life.

Step 3. Prepare your training program in advance

Regardless of the type of aerobic activity you will do, you will need to make sure you are training your whole body in a thoughtful way. Aerobics is just one of the five recommended elements for physical activity - aerobic exercise, strength training, balance training, core and flexibility training. With the right planning, however, you can incorporate exercises into your program that help you achieve the recommended balance in your workouts.

Aerobic Exercises: Of course, you will need to keep your heart rate high. This is why aerobics instructors ask you to walk in place between the steps instead of stopping and taking a break. If you can speak easily, you are not training hard enough.
Strength Training: Holding dumbbells in your hands when performing your aerobics exercises will help strengthen your arm muscles, while ankle braces can help strengthen your leg muscles.
Core strength: integrates movements that work the muscles of the abdomen - eddies with the arms for example. If you use dumbbells when performing these exercises, you will train your core even better.
Balance Workouts: Many aerobic movements require you to shift your weight from foot to foot. Focus on slow, controlled weight shifting and body balance in these phases. Calf curls and ski jumps, for example, are great exercises to focus on balance.
Flexibility: When taking steps that require stretching, stretch your muscles as much as possible. Reels are a great example of an exercise where you may not initially be able to touch your feet due to poor flexibility. With a little attention and practice, your flexibility will improve over time.

Step 4. Wear clothes that allow you to move

Aerobic exercise requires a wide range of motion, so don't wear rigid clothing that will prevent you from moving your arms and legs comfortably. You'll also sweat a lot, so wear clothes that don't get too hot - sports shorts and a T-shirt will do. Make sure you wear sneakers, not flat or work shoes.

Step 5. Prepare a large, free area

You will need to swing your arms, lift your legs, and move throughout your routine. You'll want to avoid dropping knick-knacks, so move chairs and tables to a corner to free up a large area where you can move freely without worrying about breaking anything or getting hurt.

Step 6. Prepare a great workout playlist

Studies have shown a correlation between a good playlist and the effectiveness of a workout. Since the main purpose of aerobics is to increase your heart rate, choose only fast-paced music so that you have to work hard to be able to follow it. But choose only songs that you like! The more you like music, the more you commit to the steps you take and the better your training will be. Also, if you enjoy training with music, you will be less likely to feel bored and stop exercising after a few sessions.

Step 7. Do some dynamic stretching before starting

It involves performing more extended movements than the more static ones, in which they are simply held for twenty or thirty seconds. There are several types of dynamic stretches you can do to warm up.

Arm circles - can help you increase shoulder mobility. Keep your arms out in a T shape with your body. Make small circles for ten seconds before reversing the direction of the circle.
Raise your arms forward and then bring them over your head. Try to push them back as low as possible. Return them to the starting position and repeat.
Lie down to do push-ups with the hips and knees. Bend your knee as you bring it up towards your chest. Slowly straighten it bringing it back to the starting position. Repeat the movement with the other leg.

Step 8. Keep a bottle of water handy

When you sweat during a workout, your body starts to dehydrate. If you don't replenish the fluids your body lost during exercise, you could get too tired and hurt yourself, so keep some water on hand and drink whenever you're thirsty or need to cool off.

Part 2 of 3: Low Impact Aerobics

Step 1. Understand the reasons for choosing a low impact aerobics program

This type of exercise avoids movements that put too much pressure on the ligaments, including movements such as jumping, running in place, and similar exercises. Low-impact aerobics is designed to minimize the risk of leg injuries and is recommended for older people, pregnant women, and people who are overweight. If you are in this category of people or have ligament problems, you should avoid high impact aerobics completely, unless you have your doctor's approval. If you're not in perfect physical condition and want to gradually get back into a full-fledged exercise program, low-impact aerobics is a great way to get your body used to a wide range of motion before starting to push further.

Low impact aerobics is not only suitable for people with "problems". Many training programs designed to minimize impact are as effective as high-impact ones, but less risky for possible injury.
Not all "low impact aerobics" are good for everyone. It is not completely risk-free. A person who is very overweight or absolutely not in perfect physical shape can still get hurt if they do not train at a high level. Using improper shapes or making the wrong movements can cause injury.
Perform a variety of different movements. The order of execution doesn't matter, but stay in each movement for at least a minute or two before moving on to the next one.
You should perform the same movements repeatedly throughout the workout. If you have difficulty with more advanced movements, return to the more basic ones, such as hopping back and forth. When you no longer feel any burning pain in your muscles, try again to perform more difficult movements.

Step 2. Walk in place to warm up

Don't rush to start training without warming up first. Thanks to the warm-up, you gradually increase the blood flow in your body and you will loosen the muscle groups you will use, reducing the risk of putting them under stress. Use the rhythm of the music you're listening to to guide your steps, but make sure it's loud music, to move fast and increase your heart rate.

You can keep your arms in a natural position at your sides, or swing them with precise but controlled movements to train your arm muscles as well.
Make sure you raise your knees high enough that your leg muscles will burn after some time. Just walking around the place won't make you sweat!
Repeat the movement for at least two minutes to warm up your body in anticipation of the more challenging movements.
Let yourself be guided by the music! Clap your hands if you like. The more you have fun, the easier it will be to keep training.

Step 3. Go back and forth

Walk forward three steps, swinging your arms vigorously on your hips; on the count of four, stamp your feet on the ground and clap your hands. Repeat this movement backwards, so that it ends where it started.

Repeat the movement for as long as you like, until you get bored and want to switch to another movement

Step 4. Do heel lunges

Standing in place, extend each leg forward and tap the heel of the foot on the ground, alternating them to the rhythm of the music. Raise your hands to shoulder or chest level each time you bring one foot back, and fully extend your arms down each time you straighten it. Use controlled, purposeful movements to make sure you activate your muscles and don't let gravity work for you.

Step 5. Perform step-touches

Take a large but comfortable step to the right (don't lose your balance!), Then bring your left foot to the ground next to your right foot. Return your left foot to its original position, then bring your right foot to the ground next to it.

You can combine this movement with any arm movement, from controlled swings to shoulder rotations.
A shoulder rotation consists of bringing the shoulder slightly forward, then rolling it up and back. Alternate shoulder movements to the rhythm of the music, to work the muscles of the shoulders and back.

Step 6. Do duck walks

A duck walk is similar to walking on the spot, but performed with the knees bent. This increases the strain on the thighs. Remember to pump your arms to your hips in a controlled manner.

It is important to keep your back straight during this step to prevent back pain

Step 7. Run the grapevines

Take a comfortable wide step to the left, but when you bring your right foot close to it, cross it behind and over your left foot; with your weight on your right foot, bring your left foot to the left to get back into a comfortable position for a beat before touching your left foot with your right. Then repeat the exercise on the right side.

Extend your leg forward on the last beat (when you should just touch your feet) to increase the intensity of the exercise.
Begin the movement to the left with your arms down, and slowly raise them to the sides of your body and over your head in large, controlled movements, until your hands meet on the fourth beat.
Bring your arms back down as you move to the right to return to the starting position.

Step 8. Do back thigh curls

Take a wide but comfortable step to the right, then lift your left heel up behind you, bending the knee. Don't swing your entire leg, just bend your heel back towards your buttocks. Return your foot to the ground, then repeat the movement on the left side, alternating sides to the rhythm of the music.

You can push your arms forward during the curl, then bring your arms back to your chest as you return your foot to the ground.
You can also do an arc motion with your arms: extend one arm directly to one side and bend the other across your chest while keeping your elbow pointed towards the opposite side. Alternate sides to follow the movements of the feet. The movement should resemble what you would do to stretch a bowstring.
To increase muscle engagement, you can double or triple the number of curls to perform on each side before switching to the other leg. In this way, the muscle cannot relax right away and the training will be more difficult.

Step 9. Find a low impact aerobics class

There are many styles of low impact aerobic exercise, so you should find a class that suits you. Search for:

Low impact step
Low Impact Zumba Classes: Although Zumba, a dance workout that uses Latin American music, usually involves a lot of jumps and hops that can stress the joints, look for a low impact version of that class.
Power yoga: Power yoga is a more dynamic form of yoga invented in the United States. This is a rigorous workout that raises your heart rate without stressing your joints, but be sure to look for a beginner's course.
Spinning courses: these courses involve the use of exercise bikes, but are often to the rhythm of the music chosen by the instructor.
Water aerobics: These courses are performed in the pool. The buoyancy offered naturally by water protects your joints, but also offers more resistance to movement, allowing you to train safely but intensively.

Part 3 of 3: High Impact Aerobics

Step 1. Do high impact aerobics if you have healthy joints and are fairly fit

Research suggests that when people in good health engage in activities that strain the joints, this can help strengthen bones, and of course, more intense activities cause the heart rate to rise more. However, we reiterate the invitation not to try high-impact aerobics if you have bone or joint pain, unless your doctor recommends it. If you think your shape allows you to try high impact aerobics right away, these exercises are a great way to get your heart pumping fast and strengthening your muscles.

As with low impact aerobics, you can create your own combination of exercises, all done to the beat of the music

Step 2. Warm up

Warm up like you would for low impact aerobics by marching in place. This will serve to prepare the body for physical exertion. You've already done some stretching, but this won't guarantee you won't get cramped if you overexert yourself right away. March in place for about two minutes before starting.

Step 3. Take scissor steps

This movement requires you to jump, moving your legs back and forth like a scissor. You can keep your hands on your hips or swing them in controlled movements on your hips, as you would normally do on a walk or run, but exaggerating the range.

Stand up, then jump and land with your left foot forward and right foot back.
Jump again, changing the position of the feet.
You should change your position to the beat of the music.
Make sure you don't lose your balance. Keep your arms on your hips to stabilize yourself if you think you may fall.

Step 4. Do some eddies

This movement is stationary, because your feet are still, but it is still a difficult movement that can cause you to lose your balance if you are not careful. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart, in the "stride" position. Extend your arms directly to the sides, making sure they stay parallel to the ground.

Keeping your arms straight, bring your right arm down to touch the inside of your left shoe. Do your best not to bend your knees.
You should swing your left arm behind your body, and you should rotate your face to look to the left.
Return to the original position, then repeat on the other side, touching the right shoe with the left hand.
Keep your back as straight as possible, without arching it.

Step 5. Run in place

Naturally swing your arms at your hips as you would during a normal run. If you want to make this movement more difficult, lift your knees more. Alternate between normal running and high-knee running to keep your heart rate up without getting exhausted.

Step 6. Do some ski jumps

Start in the position you hold when skiing, with the knees bent, the chest tilted slightly forward and the hands on the chest, with the elbows inward.

From the bent position, jump up and to the right, making sure to jump with both feet at the same time, then land with both feet. Balance your weight on your heels and return to the bent position.
The jumping movement should be fully lateral, not forward or backward.
As you complete the leg jump, bring your hands up to the sides of your head, then bring them back to your hips, keeping your elbows bent as you land and return to the starting position.
Jump from left to right, repeating the movement.
To increase the difficulty, place an object next to you to jump on. By increasing the height of the jump, you will train better.

Step 7. Make repeated movements of the basic steps

Whichever step you are taking - from back thigh curls to whirlpools - repeat each movement three times before switching sides. This increases the difficulty of the exercise and makes the muscles work harder, since you will not be able to rest that side of the body immediately after completing a movement.

Step 8. Find a high impact aerobics class

There are many styles of high impact aerobic exercise, so you should find a class that suits you. Here are some examples of courses to look out for:

Step
Zumba, a dance workout that uses Latin American music.
Crossfit Workout, a demanding training program that subjects you to a large variety of exercises and styles.
Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that integrates dance and acrobatics to the rhythm of music.
Tae Bo, an aerobic workout that combines elements of Tae Kwon Do, karate, boxing, and.
Call your local gym and ask what high impact aerobics classes are offered.