Aerobic exercise is the centerpiece of any exercise program. It is any form of activity which increases your heart rate. Your heart beats between 90,000 to 100,000 times per day. Like any other muscle in your body, if you don’t give your heart the exercise it needs, it may not perform for you as you need it to. The benefits of aerobic training are numerous. Here are some:

• reduction of blood pressure
• increased HDL (good) cholesterol
• decreased total cholesterol
• weight reduction
• increased heart and lung function
• decreased anxiety and depression
• decreased incidence of some cancers.

To be considered aerobic, the exercise must raise your pulse to 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate. The easiest way is to determine your maximum heart rate is to subtract your age from the number 220. There are many modes of aerobic exercise. It is important to pick one that you like and which will help you achieve your goals. For example, if weight reduction is your primary goal, choose jogging over swimming. Types of aerobic exercise are brisk walking, jogging, running, stationary and outdoor biking, skipping rope, rowing, stair climbing, hiking, swimming and aerobic dancing.

The recommended frequency of aerobic exercise, according to the American College of Sports Medicine, is three to five times per week. Especially at the beginning, it is important not to exercise two days in a row so your muscles can recover adequately from the previous day’s workout. Beginners should start with ten- to twenty-minute sessions. Eventually you should work up to aerobic workouts of thirty to sixty minutes a session. It is essential that you warm up gradually before the exercise and cool down afterward.

To be continued….

Alan Freishtat is an ACE-CERTIFIED PERSONAL TRAINER, LIFESTYLE FITNESS COACH and WEIGHT LOSS COUNSELOR with over 10 years of professional experience, whose success rate in weight loss exceeds the industry standard.  He is the director of the Jerusalem-based weight reduction clinic “Lose It!”.  Alan is available for private consultations, assessments and personalized workout programs.  He also conducts group lectures, seminars and workshops.
Office: 972-2-651-8502 / Cellular: 972-50-555-7175 / email: [email protected]