Aerobics and Fitness

In not so recent past, physical exercises are mostly reserved and prescribed to people in the armed profession, sports, and physically-demanding jobs. However, with a fast changing society of rapid economic and technological development, arises from the havoc of increasing number of people categorized as obese, along side with the awareness of the health hazards it could cause to the human body.

With the heightened awareness of people towards fitness and its benefits, an array of products is emerging in the market like mushrooms. From fitness apparels and clothing, fitness gears and instruments, gym and yoga centers, to slimming pills and teas, especial formulated drinks and shakes, diet regimens, and miracle formulas, all these are aimed to cater for the needs and seemingly vain fantasies of the people to achieve a slim and fit body in an instant. These products can be effective or otherwise, but is there an alternative way to achieve fitness? There is aerobics.

Aerobics has been known since 1968, it was Dr. Kenneth Cooper, who coined the word “Aerobics” to his book on regimen of exercises. Aerobics is an exercise characterized by a gradual increase of oxygen consumption in a continuous and rhythmic manner. Aerobics is proven by research to be the healthiest and surest way to weight control, especially when paired with good eating habits.

Benefits of Aerobics

• Promotes weight control. Aerobic exercise aids in burning fats and unused calories in the body resulting to a weight loss and maintenance of proper weight in the later part of life.
• A healthy heart. Aerobics exercises the heart resulting to better blood circulation, lesser resting heart rate. The heart is enlarged thus increasing the volume of blood per stroke.
• Promotes an efficient use of oxygen in the body. Constant aerobic exercises improve breathing and respiratory processes.
• Endurance. Habitual aerobic exercises increase endurance, faster recovery from tiring, and increases strength.
• Reduces risks of high blood pressure, diabetes, and other known diseases.
• Helps lower bad cholesterol count while increasing good cholesterol.
• Helps fight muscle and bone diseases in later life.
• Improves metabolism. Aerobic exercises consume calories and improve eating habits.
• Good alternative for relieving stress, emotional anxieties, and promotes mind relaxation.

Aerobic Tips

• Enroll in an aerobic class. Having a professional instructor is advisable, supervision could be important, especially to beginners. Aerobic classes also provide a carefully structured exercise program.

• Use proper clothing during aerobics. The key is to choose a comfortable set of shorts, jogging pants, shirt, and footwear. Improper clothing may cause limited or restricted movement and sometimes injuries during exercises. It is also advisable to bring extra clothing and towels.
• Always bring a bottle of water during exercise. Drinking a small amount of water before exercise and drinking throughout the exercise are recommended to prevent over heating and dehydration.
• Always perform some stretching or warm up before doing the aerobic exercise and do some cool downs after the exercise. It will prepare your body for the exercise and helps prevent intense muscle pains and sores afterwards.
• Keep a comfortable pacing. Do not exercise too hard; gradually increase your exercise pace or period only if you are ready. Difficulty in breathing, fainting, disorientation, and intense muscle pains means you are going too fast. Fitness cannot be achieved by force.
• As much as possible, aerobic exercises should be done regularly or in correct intervals to achieve desired effects while maintaining interest and anticipation to the exercises.
• Set long and short term goals. Knowing that your goals are achieved gradually or an improvement is felt are good motivators to continue the exercise. Reward yourself when a short term goal is achieved, this is to encourage yourself to maintain interest.
• For any injuries or lingering discomfort, it is highly advised to seek advice from a physician. If the discomfort continues, stop and restructure the exercise program as advised by the physician.

Aerobics is perhaps the easiest and safest alternative towards fitness, aside from the fact that it is less costly. It can also be done at home through many aerobic instructional videos of your liking. Aerobics paired with healthy eating habit guarantees a longer and healthier life ahead.

SPORTS & FITNESS: Top 4

A sport is a physical entertainment for humans coming from all walks of life. It is considered to be social in nature. This is very true because as we join any sport we tend to socialize with other players. Sport is created by the early people for us humans to enjoy life. It is not only the social aspect that has the chance to improve when we get into any form of sport but also our physical and emotional aspect. Experts said that when you are into any sport you will have the higher chance of having a positive attitude in life. Sport is the unlimited form of a challenge that stimulates us humans to succeed. There is no such person that is considered to be perfect in any form of sport. They may be the best, but they still need to attain some degree of skills to advance from one level into another and so on.

Fitness, just like performing any form of exercise, is one of the desired outcomes of sports. There are different types of sports that can bring fitness into the different aspect of a man. Let us bring out the top four examples. First is the most famous game worldwide which is basketball. This game is composed of five players in each team (two teams per game). The team gains a score by shooting a ball through the ten foot (standard height) ring. The team that owns the highest score at the last round of the game wins. This game started around the year 1891 by a Canadian physical educator. His idea about the game basketball popped out into his mind when he cannot think of any outdoor activities for his students during winter. One day he got the idea of this indoor game (basketball) which is a good way of making his students occupied during the cold season. This was also a good sport to have a good level of fitness. During the early times, the majority among basketball players were males. Few years later (around the year 1892) the women’s basketball team began. In the women’s game same rules are still followed.

Basketball is indeed the most accepted sport around the globe because it is easy to learn, and you only need few types of equipment to play the game (players outfit, a ball, and a ring). When you are playing basketball it will make most of your muscles move. The common parts of our body involve in this game is our arms, hands, legs, feet, and of course our mind. Body mechanics are also evident in this sport to have a proper body alignment to prevent muscle strains.

The next game is tennis. This is also common to young and mid adults. This sport may really require a bigger area for you to play. Aside from the actual court size, you also need to add some little free space for the players to run. Before you play you need to have racket, three tennis balls, and a good court. Points are earned through wining shots. Hitting the ball harder is an advantage for the player. Tennis is played in different ways. You can play it in a single game or in doubles. In a game of doubles you need to pick your partner for the game. There are several muscles involved in this game. This includes the arm and forearm muscles, the thigh muscles, and the abdominal muscles. This game is considered to be a moderate type of sport because you can play this game with less effort unlike basketball.

The next sport is soccer. This is common to European and African people. In this game, you also need a larger space. Common forms of a football arena are made of grass. Soccer players gain points by kicking a ball and targeting it into the opponent’s goal. This is really a tough game because it will require a lot of effort for you to win points. This is just like basketball in which it has two teams per game. The team who has the highest score at the end of the game wins.

The next sport is badminton. This is an indoor game. This game is common in places with a winter season. This game was invented by the early soldiers. This was a form of entertainment for German soldiers during the old war. Just like tennis this game is considered to be a moderate sport. This can be played in a minimal effort. This is an appropriate game for those mid adults. To play badminton it requires several muscles like the forearm, arms, and leg, foot, and shoulder muscles for you to play.