How does aerobics differ from fitness and what is more effective for losing weight?

Today, sport has become not just a part of a healthy lifestyle, but also an activity that more and more people use to fill their free time.

Fitness classes, dancing, Pilates, and aerobics have become especially popular. Let's talk in more detail about aerobics and find out why such activities are useful and for whom they are suitable.

What is aerobics

The first mentions of aerobics appeared in Ancient Greece - then classes were a kind of rhythmic gymnastics.

In our country, this sport has long been known and is popular among women. Essentially, aerobics is a set of exercises performed to music that uses different muscle groups. The movements put together constitute a sports dance. Such workouts are great for maintaining overall tone and for losing weight, as they harmoniously combine cardio and strength exercises.

Fitness aerobics for weight loss at home

If you decide to study on your own, then you can start with video tutorials. Gradually, it is better to create your own set of exercises, taking into account which areas of the body need to be given increased stress. Typically the following elements are included:

• Steps;
• run;
• jumping;
• swings;
• jumps;
• lifting the limbs;
• tilts.

For training, it is necessary to choose the right music, this will help create a certain atmosphere. The melody performs several functions at once. Music helps count repetitions, so it is better to choose songs with a square structure of 32 counts. Pace is also important. It must be selected taking into account the direction of training. The higher the pace, the greater the load. Not least important is the emotional background of the music. It is advisable to select positive compositions. You can train at home in any comfortable clothes that do not restrict your movements and light sneakers.

If you are just starting to engage in fitness aerobics, the following set of exercises for weight loss will suit you. It begins with a warm-up, which lasts approximately 5 minutes. Each element is performed for 10 repetitions. Exercises:

1. Steps in place. Alternately lift your left and then your right leg, bending your knees.
2. Strengthen the exercise with your arms. On 1, extend the right one in front of you, on 2 – the left one. 3–4 – hands are lowered one by one.
3. On the count of 1–2, place your feet shoulder-width apart, and on count 3–4, bring them together.
4. Extend your arms along your body. Place your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your right arm. With your left knee, try to reach your elbow (with a swinging motion).

The main part of the workout lasts at least 20 minutes. The elements are performed 10–20 times on each side. Exercises:

1. Stand on your right leg. Stretch the left one forward, lightly touching the floor with your toe. Take your arms back. Jump and transfer your body weight to your left leg. At the same time, do an overlap with your right shin. Jump back to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
2. Bring your feet together. Bend your elbows in front of your chest. Step to the side with your left foot. Add another one. Step your right foot to the side. Over the same shoulder, turn 180 degrees. Place your left foot. Repeat in the opposite direction.
3. Place your feet together. Stretch your arms parallel to the floor. Bend your left leg. Pull your knee towards your chest as much as possible. Repeat on the right leg. Take one side step on each side.
4. Keep your feet together and bend your elbows in front of your chest. Do a half squat on your right leg and a side lunge with your left. Return to the starting position. Repeat on the other side.
5. Get on all fours. Extend your left leg parallel to the floor. Bend your knee at an angle of 90 degrees. Return to starting position, repeat on the other side.

The last thing is a cool down, which lasts approximately 5–7 minutes. Elements must be repeated 10 times. Exercises:

1. Lie on your right side. Bend your left leg at the knee, straighten it, stretch it back and up, return to its original position. Repeat on the other side.
2. Lie on your back. Touch the floor with your palms. Lift the top of the body. Bend your legs at the knees, pull them as close to your forehead as possible. The hands remain motionless. Return to the starting position.
3. Perform side steps first in the forward-backward direction, then left-right.

Using special sports equipment, you can significantly diversify the program and increase the effectiveness of your classes. The following devices will come to the rescue:

1. Step platform. Equipment for performing rhythmic stepping exercises. The platform must be very strong and stable, non-slip.
2. Gymnastic mat made of rubber, thermoplastic, and other materials.
3. Slide boards. Helps simulate roller skating.
4. Gymnastic balls (fit balls).

Effect of classes

The training programs are aimed at strengthening and tightening the body muscles (legs, abdomen, back), and correcting posture. They strengthen the spine, blood vessels and heart, the body becomes more flexible and elastic. Aerobics is an active, fast workout, especially relevant for those who want to lose weight quickly.

Intense training will allow the body not to “stagnate” - the joints will always be in “working condition”. Such exercises give positive results for the spine and help get rid of back pain.

Features of exercises for weight loss

It is better to build a workout depending on your level of physical fitness. If you don’t yet know how to exercise properly to effectively lose weight, start with the basics. As your body gets used to it, increase the pace and time of exercise.

First level

For beginners, home workouts for weight loss are ideal: you yourself regulate the time and intensity of the exercises performed. The movements are simple: jumping, hopping, swinging your arms. By performing a set of basic exercises regularly for at least 30 minutes, you will feel the result: your muscles will gradually become toned, and your body will be able to tolerate the workout easier each time.

Average level

When the basics are mastered, you can add complex steps and sequences, combine them in different variations, and increase the tempo. If you feel that you can easily cope with the load and are ready for more, feel free to sign up for group aerobics classes in the gym.

Intense fat burning

The aerobic method works well for burning fat. In addition to the usual aerobics classes, there are strength training classes that are no less effective for losing weight. Use sports equipment - dumbbells, weights, a body bar, then muscle definition and a toned figure will be a pleasant bonus.

To lose weight, you don’t have to exhaust yourself with a strict diet and hours of exercise.
Experiment! Perhaps dance exercises to energetic music are your option. Aerobics is recommended for beginners at home. Don't forget about a positive attitude: sport should bring joy and satisfaction. Video of aerobics for weight loss at home

Types of aerobics

There is a wide variety of aerobic workouts. Complexes can be both group and individual:

• Step aerobics - American Gina Miller founded this type when she was working on an injured knee - she did it by constantly climbing steps. The knee joint recovered very quickly, and the girl, being a fitness instructor, decided to bring this element into her classes. She patented the step, which is used for training today. The point is that as you climb onto the platform, the load increases. The height of the step can be adjusted, thereby adjusting the load: the higher, the more difficult. This type of aerobics will be useful for everyone; there are no special restrictions. Very often, trainers like to combine basic aerobics classes with step aerobics.
• Aqua aerobics is a fashionable modern trend. Classes of this type take place not in the gym, but in the swimming pool. It turns out to be much easier to perform some exercises in water than on land, plus the resistance of the body to the water gives additional stress. Aqua aerobics should be chosen by those who are overweight, the elderly and beginners. The calming effect of water is also perfect for pregnant women.
• Fitball aerobics - this set of exercises is aimed at working with coordination. The entire lesson takes place on a large rubber ball - such an unstable and unusual body position allows not only to improve coordination, but also provides additional stress for greater muscle pumping.
• Yoga aerobics is a harmonious combination of aerobic exercises with yoga elements. The course includes breathing, stretching and coordination exercises.
• Trekking – this type is performed on treadmills. The higher the inclination angle of the treadmill and its speed, the more difficult it is to perform the exercises and the higher the load.
• Bicycle aerobics - can be performed either on a bicycle on the street or on an exercise bike in the gym under rhythmic music and the supervision of a trainer. This set of exercises will be especially relevant for those who want to quickly lose weight, since plenty of cardio allows you to quickly lose extra pounds.
• Slide aerobics - classes take place on a special slide board - a sliding surface, along the edges of which there are ramps for braking. It will be convenient for people with a lot of weight to exercise on such a board - it is easier to brake on it when jumping and the load on the joints is much lower than on a regular surface.
• “Strength” aerobics – from the name itself it is clear that these are exercises with additional loads, aimed not so much at losing weight, but at pumping up the muscles of the thighs, buttocks, arms, abdomen, and back. This includes such types of classes as body styling, pump aerobics, during which “weights” (additional loads) are necessarily used - barbells, dumbbells. However, this sport is suitable for those who are trained; beginners are not advised to immediately take up heavy sports equipment, but introduce it gradually during training.
• “East-West” is a direction of aerobics that combines elements of martial arts - wushu, taekwondo, karate. This type is perfect for children's training, it is non-contact and allows children to throw out all their energy in movements, which only benefits their respiratory, vascular system, body structure and mental state.
• Dance aerobics - training to music for those who cannot imagine their life without dancing, and even want to combine sports activities with dance movements. Usually salsa, jazz-funk, and hip-hop are combined with aerobics.

Power

This area of ​​aerobics involves the use of weights during exercise. This workout not only promotes weight loss through fat loss, but also builds muscle tissue. This type of physical activity involves a high risk of injury, so you should not do it without a trainer. Moreover, this approach is unlikely to be economical.

During the exercises you will need a large number of additional tools, weights and dumbbells. You can spend more money on their purchase than buying a gym membership.

Strength aerobics includes many areas, the most popular of which are:

• Power Ball involves exercising with a special ball;
• Power Deck – intense training using a platform;
• ABT promotes correction of the lower body, including the abdomen.

Main advantages:

• rapid loss of adipose tissue;
• the ability to increase muscle mass;
• correction of local areas of the body, for example, buttocks.

Among the disadvantages are:

• it is dangerous to exercise without a trainer;
• not suitable for beginners.

Advantages and disadvantages

Aerobics is definitely suitable for those who want to lose weight - it allows you to quickly lose extra pounds. In addition, you can also tone your body - the exercises will also be relevant for thin people. Constant physical activity and a high pace of training are excellent for the functioning of the heart, strengthening bones and joints. Immunity increases, and in combination with your favorite dance direction, water or just good music, your mood also improves.

The disadvantages of aerobic exercise are directly related to its advantages. A high pace and activity with the wrong approach can play a cruel joke on beginners - you can’t immediately study according to an intensive program, you need to get into the pace and mode gradually. It is better to perform aerobics exercises in the gym, as they require a lot of space and additional equipment; there are only a few programs for home. Aerobics should not be done by those who have problems with the heart or spine, because exercise can only complicate the situation. Here you need an individual set of exercises selected by a trainer. It is imperative to observe the correct execution of movements, especially if you are practicing at home.

Contraindications

Aerobic exercise is beneficial for people of any age. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the person’s age and physical capabilities. It is not recommended for beginners to offer complex gymnast elements - headstands, stretching exercises that require preliminary physical training.

It is also not recommended to engage in aerobics if you have serious problems associated with the activity of the cardiovascular system and respiratory organs. Those who have infectious and chronic diseases in the acute stage should not go to the gym.

Time to study

If you like to get up early and have a fruitful first half of the day, then leave the morning for studying. During training you will only be charged for the whole next day. And if the second half of the day is your priority, then you will get much more benefit from an evening workout, because it will be more comfortable for the body.

Remember only two disadvantages: after a morning workout you may feel very tired, and after an evening workout you may have problems sleeping. Some experts say that those who want to lose weight should prefer exercising in the morning.

The longer you lie, the harder it is to get up

Don't exercise because you're too tired? Remember: the longer you lie, the harder it is to get up. Where does energy come from if the heart and blood vessels barely work, not having time to deliver vital substances to the cells?

By developing endurance, you improve your performance - and not just during training.

fitness at home

A person whose body effectively uses everything that comes into it works more and accomplishes more. He sleeps well, fully recovering in a short time, so he is always full of energy and more resistant to stress. Endurance gives us efficiency and resilience, allowing us to enjoy life and not waste precious time.

“I go to aerobics three times a week. My goal is to improve my figure, make it more beautiful. Is this frequency of exercise enough to lose weight? Karina Pashina, Orenburg

- We all want to be beautiful. But what is a beautiful body? No matter how fashion changes, a healthy body is still considered beautiful. The recent boom in painfully emaciated girls and slender boys quickly passed, giving way to a slender and athletic ideal. Many women strive to lose weight at any cost, spending considerable effort and money on it. But think about it: the root of the word “thin” is “bad,” that is, bad.

Aerobics at home

Since this sport includes an abundance of different types, you can easily find one that is suitable for home - without additional equipment and increased stress.

For home workouts, you can purchase dumbbells (they will make training to strengthen muscles more effective), expanders (work both with the muscles of the arms, legs, buttocks), push-ups (to make push-ups more convenient and effective), a gymnastic mat (for more comfortable exercises on the floor). This minimum will suit you for basic training at home. You can also work the muscles of the abs, arms, buttocks and back.

Of course, you won’t be able to do intense cardio training at home, since you need space for it, and you can only do step training if you have a large room. However, you can combine strength exercises with small dance elements.

The main condition for home training is consistency.
Regularity and correctness of exercises will give you visible results. Don't forget to watch your diet, which also affects your physical fitness and your mood. Catalog

Why develop endurance?

The stamina you build during exercise will really help you lose weight, as long as you eat right.

Endurance is a certain level of development of the cardiovascular system. A trained heart and blood vessels deliver more oxygen and nutrients to every cell in your body, so you can work longer and get less tired.

An untrained person breathes more often and eats a lot, trying to provide himself with vital substances. But its cells still do not receive enough oxygen and nutrition, since the body does not know how to effectively use what it receives.

A sign of good endurance is even breathing and the ability to manage with a small amount of food without reducing performance. A resilient person simply glows with energy, while managing to do a thousand different things.

What type of physical activity is this?

As I already said, this is a type of gymnastics that contains elements of fast dance. Aerobics movements are rhythmic and performed to music, which makes it one of the most popular areas in fitness.

Brief history of appearance

The ancestor of this type of physical activity is the ancient Greek orchestrika - dance gymnastics. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, French physiologists began to pay special attention to the sense of rhythm and breathing in physical exercises. In the middle of the century, functional gymnastics gained popularity, then jazz, and even later aerobic dances were formed, which in essence are as close as possible to modern aerobics.

In relation to various types of gymnastics, the term began to be used in the second half of the 20th century, and the name itself was introduced into use by the American military doctor C. Cooper, who thus named one of the fascinating types of daily physical training for soldiers.