Aerobic culture is a collective term that describes the community-based approach to health and fitness, as well as its impact. It is based on the belief that physical activity is good for you, and it will help you achieve your goals in life.
Aerobic culture has had a significant impact on health and fitness in recent years. The reasons for this are many but one of them is that it promotes a healthy lifestyle by encouraging people to exercise regularly. This can be achieved through various forms of physical activity such as walking, running, swimming or cycling. These activities lead to increased levels of energy and stamina which makes it easier for people to complete their daily tasks without being tired.
What is aerobics?
It is a combination of cardiovascular exercises performed to the sound of music. Aerobics classes usually follow a series of routines and dance steps that increase the frequency of heartbeats. This sport puts the whole body in continuous movement and improves flexibility, coordination, orientation, and rhythm. Although many new exercise modalities are based on aerobic movements, more and more gyms are replacing aerobics classes with other forms of more intense cardiovascular exercise, such as body combat or spinning.
types of aerobics
- Circuit Aerobics: Consists of performing short exercise circuits during class with rest intervals.
- Aquagym: A variant of aerobics generally performed in a swimming pool that, thanks to the resistance offered by the water, doubles the effects of the exercise.
- Bodystyling: Combine aerobic exercise with muscle toning.
- Intervall-Aerobics: Choreographed physical conditioning program in intervals that intersperses low, medium, and high-intensity aerobic exercises.
- Box-Aerobics: Self-defense exercises are performed alternating with dance movements in this modality.
- Step-Aerobics: High-intensity aerobic exercise in which choreographed steps are performed on a platform increases cardiovascular activity.
- Dance-Aerobics: The monitor combines dance with aerobics, developing choreographies to the rhythm of the music of different modalities.
- Digital aerobics: It is performed on dance platforms and following the instructions of a computer program.
- Health benefits of aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise reduces subcutaneous fat located between the muscles, the one used as fuel or the main energy source.
- Lose weight by reducing body fat, which is used as the main source of energy.
- Improves cardiovascular function and lung capacity.
- It positively influences mood, improving self-esteem.
- Lowers blood pressure in the medium term.
- It lowers total cholesterol levels in the blood, as well as LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol and triglycerides. It increases HDL cholesterol, or good cholesterol, reducing the risk of a heart attack.
- Reduces blood glucose levels in people with diabetes.
- Improves lung capacity, circulation in general, and the use of oxygen.
- Firms tissues.
- Reduces cardiovascular mortality.
- Increases the reabsorption of calcium by the bones.
- It decreases circulating levels of adrenaline, the stress hormone, and increases endorphin levels.
- Aerobic exercise VS anaerobic exercise
These concepts refer to how the organism obtains energy. If it needs oxygen, it is called aerobic; if it doesn’t, it is anaerobic. While anaerobic exercise includes short, strength-based activities such as weightlifting or sprinting, aerobic exercise focuses on lower-intensity activities performed over a more extended period to build endurance. The most usual aerobic activities are running, walking, cycling, and swimming. Unlike anaerobic exercise, aerobic exercise does not increase muscle mass. However, it increases lung capacity and burns fatter. Combining the two types of exercise is recommended for a better long-term result.
Calculate the intensity of aerobic exercise
To calculate the percentage of intensity that specialists recommend reaching, subtract the maximum number of beats per minute that is considered safe for a healthy heart to reach (maximum frequency), 220 for men and 210 for women, at the age of the subject. According to this parameter, an exercise that goes from 55 to 60 percent of the maximum frequency is considered light, moderate if it is between 60 and 70 percent, and strong if it is performed between 75 and 85 percent.
Tips
Before starting to practice aerobic exercise, it is necessary to pass a medical examination to evaluate cardiovascular conditions and thus know what type of aerobic exercise is the most appropriate. Lower-intensity exercises, such as aerobics, are recommended for those with poorer physical shape, which are significantly overweight, or have some bone, respiratory or cardiac pathology.
It is good to start the exercise with a warm-up of about 10 minutes and finish with a cool-down period and subsequent stretching, to prevent muscle injuries. Constant hydration during sports practice is essential.
History
They were initially conceived in 1968 by Kenneth H. Cooper, a United States Air Force doctor, as a new type of physical exercise to train the cardiopulmonary system. In the 90s, it became trendy.
