When taking your pick of aerobic exercises, know that they are all great for calorie-burning and cardiovascular health, especially if you follow guidelines for getting into your target heart rate zone. However, some aerobic choices go the extra mile for your health. These are the weight-bearing aerobic activities, and they deserve special consideration.
Once you know the differences, you can vary your exercise program to include both these options, though the weight-bearing choices will get you to your goal faster.
Weight-bearing workouts. These exercises are exactly what one would expect from the name: Exercises that put weight on the musculoskeletal system, increasing bone mass as you work your muscles. "Weight-bearing exercise is a great way to lose weight," says Laura Stusek, fitness coordinator for Westminster College in Salt Lake City. High-impact choices include kickboxing, jogging, running, stair-climbing, dancing, high-impact aerobics classes, jumping rope, and playing singles tennis. Low-impact choices include walking, elliptical trainers, step machines, and low-impact aerobics classes. A huge benefit of this type of exercise is that it increases bone density, important for warding off osteoporosis, the bone-thinning disease. This is why including weight-bearing workouts is so vital now and in later years.
Non-weight-bearing workouts. These exercises include low-stress activities such as swimming, cycling, and water aerobics. While these put little or no actual stress on the body (and don't contribute as much to bone-building), they can still add up to a significant number of calories burned. "Indoor cycling is a good example," says Stusek. "It's not weight-bearing, but participants can burn up to 600 calories in an hour, depending on the size of the individual and the intensity level."
Both weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing aerobic workouts can be key to losing weight. Stusek recommends three to four days of aerobic exercise for general health maintenance and as much as four to six days a week for weight loss. Also important for weight loss is interval training, alternating one minute of high-intensity activity (like running) followed by one minute of low-intensity exercise (such as walking) for a period of at least 20 minutes, with a five-minute warm-up and a five-minute cool-down as bookends.
Weight Loss and Strength Training
Another crucial workout component is strength or resistance training. While not technically a weight-bearing exercise, this workout involves the use of hand-held free weights and other equipment such as kettlebells, resistance bands, and stability balls to help increase muscle strength, improve joint stability, and enhance mobility.
When it comes to weight loss and weight maintenance, burning calories while exercising is great, but it's also critical to increase the body’s resting metabolic rate (RMR). Accounting for 60 to 75 percent of calories burned daily, the RMR is affected by the amount of muscle in the body. The more muscle, the more calories burned throughout the day, not just during exercise. Strength-training exercise builds that muscle, plus it also helps build bone. So if your main cardio workouts are non-weight-bearing, these strength-training sessions will make up the anti-osteoporosis part of your total exercise plan.
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Heart Association physical activity guidelines now include strength training for all adults. ACSM recommends doing eight to 10 strength-training exercises with eight to 12 repetitions each, two times a week if you’re under 65; over 65, the recommendation is increased to eight to 10 strength-training exercises with 10 to 15 repetitions each, two to three times a week. Note: Never strength train on consecutive days, as muscle needs the down time to rebuild.
Over time, muscles become accustomed to a workout, so it's important to keep pushing them by adding weight or changing the routine. If more strength is your goal, training with heavier weights is the way to go, while you can increase endurance with more repetitions at a lower amount of weight. Finally, be sure to start with the larger muscle groups first before moving on to smaller ones.
Keep in mind that weight-bearing and strength-training exercises are not about bulking up, but about building lean muscle and strong bones. The benefits — from faster weight loss to better bone health — will serve you well.
No comments:
Post a Comment