What is Aerobics?

Aerobic literally means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in muscles' energy-generating process. Aerobic exercise includes any type of exercise, typically those performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time, that maintains an increased heart rate. In such exercise, oxygen is used to "burn" fats and glucose in order to produce adenosine triphosphate, the basic energy carrier for all cells. Initially during aerobic exercise, glycogen is broken down to produce glucose, but in its absence, fat starts to decompose instead. The latter is a slow process, and is accompanied by a decline in performance level. The switch to fat as fuel is a major cause of what marathon runners call "hitting the wall." Paradoxically, if one wants to lose fat, the most efficient way to do this (according to some scientists), is by executing prolonged exercises when feeling weak and hungry.

Aerobics versus Aerobic Exercise
There are various types of aerobic exercise. For example, running a long distance at a moderate pace is an aerobic exercise, but sprinting is not. Playing singles tennis, with near-continuous motion is generally considered aerobic activity, while golf or doubles tennis, with their more frequent breaks, may not be.  When using the Treatment Finder, Aerobics refers to the group exercise classes that are generally high impact, high intensity set to music which are designed to increase your fitness and burn fat.

The Health Benefits
Aerobic exercise increases lung capacity (intake of oxygen) and strengthens the heart muscle (more effective pumping of oxygen), helping the body to clean more effectively and rapidly and helping reducing risks of heart diseases. Aerobics can also increase your body level of HDL, a substance that carries cholesterol out of the blood system. Aerobics can also lower blood pressure. A sedentary person's heart beats 75 times per minutes versus regular exercisers' heart beating 55 times per minute. Therefore in a year, a sedentary person's heart beats 10,512,000 times more than an active person's. Therefore, aerobic training maximize your cardiopulmonary efficiency which means your heart accomplishes more work with less efforts, and your lungs can create more room inside your body for more oxygen intake. As a result, you feel fit, you avoid illnesses, you chase away laziness, you think more clearly, and you memorize better. Aerobic exercise forces the lungs and the heart to work slightly below their maximum capacity (the Maximum Heart Rate, or HR Max). This range is to be found between 60 and 80% or your HR Max; it is called your Target Heart Rate, or THR.  Doing Aerobics regularly can decisively improve your heart rate, you body condition, and your state of mind.

Over 20 years of research has shown that aerobic exercise is one of the best exercises you can do since it is a safe and complete work out, as well as a fun sport to do.  Aerobics conditions your heart and lungs, helps you use oxygen more efficiently and helps control weight and reduce stress. A regular aerobics program gives you a sense of responsibility and the assurance of being in control of your body, which are two positive mental attitudes that are necessary to help reduce stress. Aerobics helps relax tense muscles, and a regular aerobics activity increases the body's production of endorphins (a natural sedative) and catecholamines (chemical substances that help stabilize moods). So, aerobics can makes you feel happy.  Aerobics activities should be performed for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week to maintain a good body condition, more often in order to burn fat.