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Aerobic
Cross-Training for Weight Loss
copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.
Do you sometimes get bored with your aerobic
exercise? Do You sometimes feel like you're
not getting the results you should from
your aerobic exercise? If so, then aerobic
cross-training is for you.
Aerobic cross-training refers to using
two to three different types of aerobic
exercise during an exercise session. For
example, if you plan to exercise for 60
minutes, you might start with 20 minutes
of walking or jogging, followed by 20 minutes
of biking, and finish with 20 minutes of
rowing.
Now, please don't get the impression that
you have to be in great shape to do this
or that it has to be 60 minutes long. You
can start with something as simple as a
ten minute walk followed by ten minutes
with an exercise video. This is cross-training
too. You can gradually build up from there.
Here are some of the exercises you can
use in your cross-training program; walking,
jogging, biking, rowing, stair climbing,
swimming, exercise videos, etc. Any combination
of aerobic exercises will do. You simply
go from one to the next with very little
time between them.
Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to
you in several ways:
1. It provides variety which eliminates
the monotony often associated with doing
the same exercise for a long period of time.
2. If your exercise sessions are less monotonous
and more enjoyable, you are much more likely
to exercise more often and for longer periods
of time.
3. You are less prone to over-use injuries
that sometimes occur from doing the same
exercise movements over and over again.
4. You tone more muscles because you are
using more muscles. For example, walking
tones mostly the lower body muscles and
rowing tones upper body muscles also. Even
exercises like walking and biking that both
tone lower body muscles, tone them at different
angles and each tones some small muscles
that the other doesn't.
5. Aerobic conditioning is very specific
to the muscles being worked. For example,
you can walk ten miles a day and still be
somewhat breathless after climbing stairs
because you haven't trained the muscles
for that specific movement. Aerobic cross-training
allows you to develop more comprehensive
aerobic training.
6. Aerobic cross-training is effective
for weight loss because your are toning
and training the fat-burning systems of
more of your muscles. It turns more of your
muscles into 24-hour fat-burning machines!
You are also more likely to exercise on
a regular basis and for longer periods of
time. this also promotes weight loss and
fitness.
Get movin'! :)
Author and exercise physiologist, Greg
Landry, offers FREE weight loss success
stories and his "Fast, Healthy Weight
Loss" newsletter at his site: http://www.Landry.com
copyright 2003 by Greg Landry, M.S.
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