Intense! How tough should your aerobics workout be?
Aerobics is great for losing weight and staying healthy because it strengthens your breathing and heart, as well as helps you burn fat. However, many people don't know or understand how to do an aerobics workout in order to maximize the results. Intensity is a very important aspect of any aerobics workout, so if you want to get the most out of your aerobics, make sure that you're following these three rules.
First, find the intensity that is your sweet spot. If you work out too intensely, you may injure yourself or not see results. However, if you don't work out intensely enough, you won't lose any weight or grow stronger. Therefore, you have to work with a program that has just the right intensity for you. When trying new exercises, try to make sure that they include enough weights or speed to make the workout hard, but not impossible. Also, remember that you will need to rework the intensity of your workout as your tolerance and endurance increase, so take a look at your routine every week or two and make necessary changes.
The second rule is to ensure safety in your workout intensity. Overtraining is a huge problem because it puts you and those around you in danger. When you undertrain, you see no results, which may push you to intensify. That's good, but too much and you'll be vomiting before the workout is over and possibly injuring yourself. If you are training properly, your muscles should be sore, but your joints should not. Never do an intense exercise in which you cannot control your form or breathing. Instead, take breaks and use lower weights or speed to get back on track. This method will help you get more out of your workout anyway. In any case, if you are injured during a workout, call for help immediately from those around you. It is a good idea to work out with a partner or at least let someone know that you're working out in case anything happens to you.
Lastly, build intensity instead of jumping into the deep end. When you are starting to exercise, you won't be able to suddenly run the Boston marathon! Building up slowly will help prevent injury, as discussed in the second step, but it can also help you not get frustrated. If you slowly build up your aerobics routine, you'll be able to find success more readily.
