Step Aerobics

Step aerobics is a type of aerobic exercise that includes the use of a step or platform. The raised platform has a height ranging from 4 inch to 12 inches. The exercise basically includes stepping up and down on the platform. This is a good cardiovascular workout which does not include rigorous steps.

 

Steps of step aerobics

 

Stepping on and off the platform and raising your legs in co – ordination, are the basic steps involved in any step aerobic routine. The three basic steps are:

• Charleston
• Diagonal
• A – Step

Apart from these, some other common moves of step aerobic exercise are:

• T – Step
• L – Step
• V – Step
• I - Step
• Straddle down
• Corner knee
• Basic step
• Over – the – top
• Lunges
• Rocking horse
• Split step

Benefits of step aerobics

• This is equivalent to any cardiovascular workout. But without the rigorous steps involved in usual cardiovascular workouts.
• It effectively burns fats and calories.
• Regular workout decreases the cholesterol level.
• It is a low impact exercise that does not stress the joints.
• You can do this at home, without having to visit a fitness center regularly.
• The equipment for step aerobic is inexpensive. A pair of good shoes and a platform is all that is required.

Step aerobic tips

• It is suggested that you take the help of a professional before doing it at home. This minimizes the risk of getting hurt.
• Do invest in a pair of proper workout shoes. This is essential for providing arch support and also acts as a shock absorbent.
• A good and sturdy platform is another important requirement.
• Do warm – up before starting out.
• While working with your instructor ensure that he/she sees to it that you are raising your legs to the proper height.

Facial Exercise

With advancing age our skin looses its elasticity. The skin around our eyes and chin starts to sag. How do you maintain a youthful appearance? Regular facial exercise keeps those fine lines from appearing and helps you to retain that youthful look. Facial exercises are also used to treat certain medical conditions, pertaining to the facial area.

 

Benefits of facial exercise

• Regular exercise helps to tone the muscles, improves elasticity and thereby prevents the skin from sagging.
• It improves blood circulation and relieves the tension of facial muscles.
• Exercising the face muscles is recommended by medical partitioner to treat patients suffering from TMJ. This is a faulty movement of a facial joint that results in headaches, pain and other discomforts.
• It can also be used for reducing excess fat in the face.
• You can do it at home standing in front of your mirror.

Types of facial exercise

• There are special exercises for taking care of double chin problems.
• Cheek exercises help to reduce the excess fat and also tones the muscles, preventing them from sagging.
• For toning the areas around the eyes, there are special eye exercises.
• Specific exercises for your forehead relaxes you and keeps the fine lines from appearing. There are exercises designed to treat headaches as well.

Facial exercise tips

• It is suggested that you consult a professional expert before starting any exercises.
• Remember to take breaks between any two forms of exercise.
• There is no instant cure, only regular practice shows effective results.

Exercise

With a sedentary lifestyle, physical exercise has become increasingly important in today's life. Our modern lifestyle is surrounded by stress and therefore we need to relieve this by exercising. One can join a gym or workout at home or outdoors to maintain physical health and fitness.

 

Types of Exercises

 

Aerobic exercises – These include running, walking, playing tennis, hiking and cycling which focuses on cardiovascular strength.

 

Flexibility exercises involve stretching of muscles and joints.

 

Anaerobic exercises feature functional training, weight training and sprinting which focuses on short-term muscle strength.

Forms of Exercise

 

Various forms of exercises can be performed from children to adults. Some of these are –

 

Aerobics – This involves rhythmic aerobic exercise by including strength training modules and stretching. The exercise is performed to music in a group headed by an instructor.

 

Step Aerobics – This exercise involves use of an elevated platform or a step. One can increase the height of the step for more hard workouts. This exercise was innovated in 1989 by Gin Miller.

 

Facial Exercise – One can improve the skin tone and elasticity by working out the face muscles in this exercise.

 

Cardio Exercise – This exercise is beneficial for weight loss and features various activities like running, cross-country skiing, bicycling, swimming, rowing, rock climbing, walking and handball.

 

Benefits of Exercise

 

Exercise strengthens our muscles and cardiovascular system, improves athletic skills and maintains weight. Regular exercises help in boosting the immune system and prevent cardiovascular diseases.

 

It also prevents Type 2 diabetes and obesity, improves mental health and helps prevent depression. Strength training has continuous energy-burning effects even after 24 hours after workouts. Exercise also reduces the development of dementia and may also reverse brain damage caused by effects of alcohol.

 

With long term exercise the brain benefits by a number of ways like -

• There is increased oxygen and blood flow to the brain
• There is increased growth factor which helps in creation of new nerve cells and promoting synaptic plasticity.
• The brain produces increased levels of chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, glutamate and norepinephrine which help cognition.

Cellulite Exercise

Who doesn't want a smooth and flawless skin but what do you do when you see uneven, wrinkled skins on your thighs , hips and buttocks? You guessed it right this is cellulite which just doesn't go even though you lose body fat.

Well there is nothing to worry as there is a solution for that. With cellulite exercises and proper diet you can actually reduce or fully eliminate cellulite. Cellulite exercise mainly aims at toning the muscles. When you start building up the muscles in your body cellulite is automatically removed.

What is Cellulite Exercise?

Cellulite workout comprises cardiovascular exercises like swimming, jogging or brisk walking. Also specific anaerobic muscle workouts targeting the hips, thighs and buttocks are very much helpful in eliminating cellulite.

Cellulite Exercise Steps:

Start with a warm up for 15 minutes. It can be aerobic dance or some stretches. Then do some strength exercises or weight training. You must start with light weights and gradually go to the higher levels. It is advisable you do 15 minutes of strength training and do 10 repetitions for the target areas. Do some stretching exercise again for 20 seconds which will make your body flexible and increases strength as well.

Effective exercises for cellulite removal on the thighs are the leg lefts or side leg lifts.Lie down on your stomach with your hands tucked under your head. Lift one leg and in the air only rotate your foot three to four times, bring your leg down and do the same with the next leg. Try out 15 repetitions for each leg and 3 sets in total.

You can do lunges or squat exercises if you want to remove cellulite from your buttock. For more intense workout you can add weights to your ankles or at your sides.

Benefits of Cellulite Exercise:

Cellulite exercise not only burns the fat but also enhances blood circulation. Moreover as the exercise is not strenuous so you don't feel over exerted. The cardiovascular or aerobic workout not only improves the blood or lymphatic circulation but also burns fat and as you sweat while doing this workout toxins are all removed from your body. The strength training or weights transforms the localized fat deposits into muscle tissues. This kind of workout is beneficial if you are not overweight and you only need to focus the target areas prone to cellulite.

Note: Take expert's advice to know what kind of exercise is suitable for you.

Cardio Exercise

Cardio Exercise is aerobic exercise and is also known as cardiovascular exercise. It involves working out of large muscles to strengthen the heart and lungs. 'Aerobic' means something that needs oxygen. During this type of exercise, oxygen is delivered to the muscles.

Cardio Exercise gives the heart an excellent workout at certain intensity. The amount of exertion while exercising can be measured by checking the heart rate. The heart rate is the number of heart beats per minute. Each person has a resting heart rate which is the heart beat rate at rest. The maximum heart rate is the maximum a heart can beat in a minute.

To give the heart an ideal workout, one's rate should be 50 percent and 85 percent of the maximum heart rate. Cardio Exercise is also an effective way to reduce weight as it reduces calories.

Types of Cardio Exercise

Cardio exercises involve use of large muscles like legs. The exercises can be performed with or without the aid of special exercise equipments. It can be divided into –

Outdoor Cardiovascular Exercise – These outside exercises include jump-roping, walking, swimming, jogging, running, bicycling and skiing of various types. Most of these exercises do not need special equipments.

Indoor Cardiovascular Exercise – This type of exercise include the use of rowing machines, stationary bicycles, treadmills, ladder climbers, stair climbers and elliptical trainers.

Benefits of Cardio Exercise

Cardio Exercise results in various psychological benefits and keeps an individual happier and energetic. The exercise burns a lot of calories when done frequently for a longer period of time. One of the best ways to reduce weight is to engage in cardiovascular exercises and reduce calorie intake at the same time.

Metabolic rate increases with regular cardiovascular exercise which can help in losing of weight. Cardiovascular diseases also reduce with regular workouts. It has been suggested that just walking three times a week for 20 minutes can reduce the risk of heart diseases.

Body Stretch

Body stretch is an important follow up after any workout. Stretching also helps to relax your muscles and controls stress. Sitting in the office for longer hours often stiffens your body muscles. Stretching your body is an effective way to dissipate the tension in your muscles.

 

Benefits of body stretch

• Stretching is an important part of your warm up routine before any workout.
• Post exercise body stretch minimizes the risk of injuries and also helps your body to recover after a workout.
• Body stretches helps to improve the flexibility of your limbs.
• Stretching your body helps to fight against the effects of stress.

Types of body stretch

Some of the common body stretches are:

• Chest: Place your left forearm on a wall, at chest level, with the elbows bent at right angles. Turn your body gradually to your right. Repeat with your right forearm.
• Biceps: Spread your arms slightly behind. Your thumbs should be pointing up. Now rotate the thumbs till they are pointing towards the back wall.
• Triceps: Raise your right hand and place it behind your head. Bring your left hand to rest over your right arm. Now pull in your right arm with the help of your left arm. Repeat with left hand.
• Shoulders: With your left arm across your chest, hold the left elbow with your right hand. Stretch your left hand with the help of your right hand. Repeat with alternate sides.
• Legs: Hold your left leg (around the ankle area) with your left hand and bend it, till it points upward. The knee should point towards the floor. Repeat with your right leg.

Body stretch tips

• Minimize bounces or any sudden jerky movements while stretching.
• While stretching focus on those parts of the body that will be used during a particular workout. For instance work on your legs if you are going for a jog.
• If you feel any discomfort while stretching stop immediately.

Aerobics

Aerobics is a form of exercise that helps to lose weight and also increases the functionality of your limbs. It is also helps to improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. The very word aerobics means "with oxygen." The process breaks down the fatty cells and releases oxygen, which in turn helps in the metabolic activity of the body.

 

Types of aerobics

• Sports aerobics
• Low impact aerobics
• Dance aerobics
• Step aerobics
• Aqua/Water aerobics

 

Benefits of aerobics

• Aerobics helps to strengthen your cardiovascular and respiratory system.
• The release of oxygen helps in burning fat.
• Regular exercise helps to reduce the level of cholesterol.
• Aerobics is also good for the heart.
• It is helpful in fortifying the natural defenses of the body.
• Research has shown that aerobics helps those suffering from depression.
• Aerobic exercise also keeps those years in check. Regular exercising helps to improve the mobility of your limbs.
• Water aerobics, it is believed is good for arthritis.
• Daily practice can prevent chronic conditions like osteoporosis from occurring.

Tips on aerobics

• It is always advisable to gradually work up your pace. Start with a few simple steps, and then gradually increase the steps and also the time span of your regime.
• Plan your schedule to make aerobics a daily part of your life. Choose a time when your energy levels are at their peak.
• It is suggested that you take professional help initially.
• Work with your instructor to include steps that you like doing.
• Make sure that you are wearing the proper gears while exercising. This minimizes the risk of injury.