By Joey Hacker, Personal Trainer
With the spring season quickly approaching, many people are interested in getting their “beach body” or reaching their “ideal weight” and they want it FAST! Infomercials and boot camps try to offer this as a possibility but gloss over the physiology need for aerobic exercise. Intense and stressful exercises have a place in your daily routine, but do not ignore the benefits of slowing down your training and stressing your aerobic capacity.
An individual’s aerobic capacity is typically reached in “zone one training”. Zone one training is any exercise or physical activity that requires 65% to 75% of your max heart rate. Most health fitness professionals should be able to help you with this.
Training in zone one provides several benefits which include:
- Building an aerobic base
- Preparing the body to utilize fat for energy
- Reduces risk of injury
- Improves body’s ability to recover
- Prepares the body for endurance activities.
We have all been told that taking a nice long walk is good for the soul, mind, and body. Although this is true, it is only one type of aerobic exercise. This is where you and your trainer can have some fun with your training. Get creative! Some “outside the box” ideas of reaching your aerobic capacity could include:
- Household cleaning (may not be much fun, but a great example of multitasking)
- Walking the dog
- Shopping – a more expensive form, but studies show that Americans spend on average 45 minutes out shopping each time they head out.
- Hide and Seek- a great way to get the family on board with some moderate physical activity.
- Gardening or landscaping – when weather is permitting.
These are just a few ideas, but again this is a chance to have fun with your exercise training. So try slowing a few of your exercises down and let your body appreciate the benefits of aerobic capacity. It will thank you later!