What are aerobic exercises

The aerobic exercise that we are exposed to every day actually covers a lot of scenarios, and it is not as "high-end" as everyone thinks. From the familiar jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobics, and skipping, to low-intensity walking, Baduanjin, Tai Chi, and even mopping the floor, lifting heavy objects, and climbing stairs that last for more than half an hour, as long as it meets the core standards, it can be considered aerobic. It is also very simple to judge. There is no need to use complicated instruments. As long as most of the muscles of the body are involved, it can last for more than 3 minutes, the heart rate is maintained between 60% and 80% of the maximum heart rate (about 220 minus your age), the breathing is a little heavy but you can still speak complete sentences, and you are not panting so much that you can't speak, you are basically in the aerobic zone.

I had a lumbar prolapse a while ago and I didn’t dare to run or jump, so I dragged my Corgi around the river embankment for 40 minutes after dinner every day. While walking, I said hello to acquaintances passing by, and watched the grandparents dancing in the square while blowing the river breeze. I even sweated a little and didn’t feel tired after walking. This is the most worry-free low-intensity aerobic, especially suitable for novices who are new to sports, or friends with old injuries to their knees or lumbar spine. It can achieve the effect of exercise without any effort.

If you already have a certain foundation in exercise and want to improve the efficiency of fat removal, you can try medium-to-high-intensity aerobics. I used to have a colleague who weighed 180 pounds. When he was determined to lose weight, he would run 3 kilometers around the park next to the company after get off work every day. At the beginning, he had to walk two steps to run 50 meters. After three months, he slowly lost 22 pounds. Now his whole spirit is different. However, he also stepped on the pit at the beginning. In order to lose weight quickly and speed up, his knees hurt from running for almost a week. Later, he changed to a combination of fast walking and jogging, and he gradually got better after adapting to his own rhythm. If his knees are not good, he can completely switch to swimming or elliptical machines. The stress on the joints is less than one-tenth of running. My friend who injured his meniscus during horse racing now practices elliptical machines three times a week, and his body fat rate is still stable at around 18%. The effect is not compromised at all.

Oh, by the way, there is another controversial point that many people are struggling with, which is whether interval exercises such as HIIT and Tabata, which are very popular nowadays, count as aerobic? In fact, there is no unified conclusion in the industry. One group believes that as long as the aerobic energy supply accounts for more than 60% during exercise, it can be counted. The other group believes that the explosive movements in the interval are mostly anaerobic energy supply, and at most it can be regarded as mixed oxygen exercise. To be honest, we ordinary sports enthusiasts really don’t need to stick to this category. When you do it, you can keep up with the rhythm and your heart rate is stable in the aerobic range. Even interval training can achieve aerobic exercise effects. There is no need to fight over a classification.

Sometimes I feel too lazy to go out, so I just follow the aerobics exercise at home for 20 minutes. The movements don’t have to be too standard, as long as I can keep up with it. After the dance, I break out a thin layer of sweat and my whole body feels relaxed. It can be considered that I have completed the aerobic KPI for the day. In fact, there are really many aerobic options. You don’t have to follow the trend and choose the “most efficient” exercise. Find something you can stick to, which is better than anything else. After all, exercise that can be done for a long time is the best exercise for you.