Aerobic Workouts for Beginners

Aerobic exercises are aimed at improving the body's oxygen consumption. The many varied types of aerobic exercises are meant to be performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time. They are sustained, rhythmic activities that involve large muscle groups.

Aerobics is the ideal option for anyone who wants to start exercising. We recommend 30 to 60 minutes of aerobics excluding warm up and cool down, 3 to 5 times a week. However, beginners aerobic workouts must be for a shorter duration, while it must slowly be brought up to the above mentioned time frame. Aerobic exercises for beginners must not exceed 10 minute sessions for the first week, which can be increased to 15 or 20 minute sessions the consecutive week. The objective of aerobics for beginners and the experienced is to provide the heart and lungs a good workout, without doing it for long enough to risk injury. Ensure that you listen to your body. Tiredness is fine, in fact it can be a good thing, bit if your joints begin to feel sore or breathing becomes labored, slow down or stop.

Aerobic Workouts for Beginners constitute a combination of these exercises, following the time pattern mentioned above:

Outdoor Workouts

Walking, Jogging and Running: Walking really is the best exercise, and is suitable (actually recommended) for people of all ages. If walking is the only aerobic exercise you are doing, then 30 minutes a day is the recommended time duration. As a beginner, it is the perfect exercise to start with, till your body gets accustomed to the movement. Once you feel your fitness level go up, you can turn the stroll into a brisk walk and then proceed to running and jogging. If you choose to do this in the outdoors instead of on a treadmill, you can enjoy nature and breath in fresh air. If weight loss is your goal, know that running is one of the most effective ways of achieving it.

Cycling: Cycling is not only loads of fun, it is also an excellent aerobic exercise. You can incorporate it into your regular schedule, (use a cycle to commute to work or school) or keep aside a time for it. If you fancy extreme sports, try mountain biking or cross-country cycling, which will add adventure to your exercise routine

Sports: While team sports are good exercise, they are not always effective in developing aerobic fitness. They involve periods where large amounts of energy is expended, often followed by periods of activity where the heart rate is allowed to drop. The benefits of aerobic exercise come from constant movement.

Indoor Workouts

Your gyms provide a wide variety of aerobic options, such as treadmills, cross trainers, exercise bikes, stairmasters, rowing and ski machines. Over the period of a week, try to ensure that you use all of these different machines to get a complete workout. As time passes, you can increase speed to challenge the resistance of your body and provide a good heart and lungs work out. Your other options are classes provided by most gyms including various forms of dance, body pump, body combat and step aerobics with a trained instructor. Swimming is another option, which can provide the best overall body workout one can get, and it is loads of fun too. It is especially well suited for people with muscle or joint injuries/problems.

If you are a beginner at aerobic workouts, a few good options are skipping, step exercises and rebounding. You could use an aerobics video or just put on your favorite CD and dance!