Aerobic exercise items include

Common aerobic exercise programs accessible to the public mainly include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, rope skipping, aerobics, rowing machine training, elliptical machine training, fartlek running, low-intensity interval training (LIIT), as well as moderate-intensity racket-holding ball sports such as badminton and table tennis. Even square dancing and slow mountain climbing, which are loved by many middle-aged and elderly people, also fall into the category of effective aerobic exercise as long as the intensity reaches the standard.

Speaking of which, when I first came into contact with fitness, I still stereotyped that only running for more than 30 minutes continuously can be considered serious aerobic. Later, I practiced with the rehabilitation trainer of the provincial team for half a year before I figured out: To judge whether a sport is considered aerobic, the core depends on the energy supply mode, which falls into the standard that ordinary people can self-test, which is to maintain the heart rate between 60% and 80% of the maximum heart rate during exercise, and can speak normally and coherently but cannot sing a whole song smoothly. As long as it meets this standard, no matter what event you choose, it is considered effective aerobic. By the way, ordinary people can roughly calculate their maximum heart rate by subtracting their age from 220. If you want to be more accurate, you can go to the hospital to do a cardiopulmonary exercise test, which is more reliable than making a blind estimate on your own.

I used to live just 3 kilometers away from the company. On days when it didn't rain, I would ride a shared bicycle to commute. I could get my aerobic heart rate stuck in 20 minutes. I didn't have to squeeze into the subway and sweat all over, and I also saved the time to go to the gym. After more than half a year, I accumulated nearly 1,000 kilometers of aerobic energy just by commuting, and I lost 1.5 points of body fat. It was much more cost-effective than before when I applied for an annual pass and only went there three times.

Speaking of this, someone must ask, does skipping count as aerobic? This has indeed been a quarrel in the fitness circle for several years. One group says that as long as the rhythm is slow and lasts for more than 15 minutes, it is a standard aerobic program. The other group believes that if the frequency of jumping is fast and mixed with intermittent sprints, the anaerobic proportion of the energy supply is very high, and it cannot be regarded as pure aerobics. In fact, we ordinary fitness people really don’t need to worry about this. When I was at home during the epidemic last year, I danced slowly for 20 minutes every day, and took a 30-second rest when I was tired. I could talk to my mother the whole time. After three months, my cardiopulmonary improvement was particularly obvious. It was much more comfortable than doing HIIT that was out of breath.

If you have bad knees and are unable to do running or jumping exercises, you can really try swimming, elliptical machines or rowing machines. The pressure on your joints will be almost negligible. I have a friend who suffered a second-level meniscus injury after falling while skiing. The doctor banned him from running and jumping, so he went to the swimming pool to swim three times a week, breaststroke for 40 minutes each time. After half a year, his resting heart rate was only 52, which is stronger than many people who run half-marathons every day. His weight has stabilized within the normal range and has not rebounded.

Oh, by the way, there is also square dancing, which many people look down upon. It is really an undervalued aerobic activity. My mother danced square dance for a whole year last year. She danced with the team for 45 minutes every night. The rhythm was neither fast nor slow, just in line with her aerobic heart rate for her age. During the physical examination at the end of the year, her blood pressure and blood lipids were much more stable than before. The doctor asked her if she had secretly increased the amount of exercise. The same goes for slow climbing. Don’t think about reaching the top as soon as you go up. Walk slowly along the steps and look at the scenery while walking. Walking for an hour is also very good for aerobic exercise. I go to the hill behind my house and wander around when I have nothing to do on weekends. It is much more interesting than running on a treadmill.

Anyway, my biggest feeling after practicing for so many years is that there is really no need to worry about which aerobic program is "the most efficient at burning fat", and there is no need to follow the trend and buy expensive equipment or get a high-end fitness card. The best program is the program that makes you willing to stick to it for a long time. Even if you take your family members to walk in the park for half an hour after dinner every day, walk faster and don't stop to check your phone while walking, it is still a real and effective aerobic exercise. Fitness should be as comfortable as it should be, so you don't have to put so much burden on yourself, right?