Complete aerobic exercise program

Beginner to advanced

An aerobic exercise program tailored just for you.

Choosing the best aerobic exercise workout will be a snap. Just follow our tested guidelines below.

Read on to learn the main benefit of an aerobic exercise program, other benefits, specific aerobic exercises, starting points, determining fitness level, how to progress & other helpful tips.

Tips for exercising comfortably & effectively

Getting a partner could help with motivation.

Clothing - Unless you are out there to impress, fancy clothing is optional. Skip the hyped up clothing. Wear comfortable cottons. Dress in layers in colder weather so you could remove as needed.

However, when it comes to footwear, if you are walking or running, get a good shoe. Ask for recommendations from a reputable store.

Don’t use sneakers that you knock about in or go to work on casual Fridays in. That footwear will lose cushioning before it is ready for the dumpster.

Use your exercise footwear just for exercising. Splurge on quality if you can.

Technique Especially if walking or running, remain upright, heads up, shoulders relaxed. Unless you are advanced, use simple heel-to-foot strike.

Time of exercise Whenever you can. Don’t work out on a full stomach.

However, you can still walk after a meal. But no running or bodybuilding. Other than that, find time. You will come to look forward to that time.

Where Avoid hard surfaces at first. Walk or run on fields, running tracks. Tar is softer than concrete.

Drink lots of water! ‘Nuff said. Drink before, during, after workout & drink when not working out.

Click for importance of water & symptoms of dehydration

Determining your fitness level

1)Walk at a brisk speed for up to 10 minutes. If you can’t walk for 5 minutes, or do so but with discomfort, you are at the beginner level (B).

2)If you can walk more than 5 minutes but less than 10, you are at beginner-intermediate level (BI).

3)If you breeze through 10 minutes, you will take a walk-jog test next day. For the test, alternate walks and jogs for roughly equal distances. You can do ½ block of each, or next lamp post - then switch, any distance that’s not too long and roughly equal will do. If you can’t complete 10 minutes comfortably, you are in intermediate level (I).

4)If you can complete 10 minutes with little discomfort, you are in the advanced level (A).

(Of course by advanced, we mean compared to low fitness individuals.)

Aerobic exercises per fitness level

Days:

1)5 min fast walk, 3 min slow walk, 5 min fast walk. Add 1 min to a fast walk, then to a slow walk every workout day. 2)Rest

3)6 min fast walk, 3 min slow walk, 5 min fast walk

4)Rest

5)6 min fast walk, 4 min slow walk, 5 min fast walk

6)Rest

7)6 min fast walk, 4 min slow walk, 6 min fast walk

See pattern? Just continue along. Use your judgment. You may add an extra minute, or not, depending on how you are progressing. You can even throw in an extra workout day per week if your muscles aren’t too sore. The beginner program is a guideline. You adapt it as needed.

Beginner-Intermediate(BI): Do this walking program every other day for 28 days. Rest in between.

Days:

1)10 min fast walk, 3 min slow walk, 10 min fast walk. Add a 1 min fast walk to every workout day

2)Rest

3)11 min fast walk, 3 min slow walk, 10 min fast walk

4)Rest

5)11 min fast walk, 3 min slow walk, 11 min fast walk

See the pattern? Continue it for 21 days. On the last 7 days, replace fast walks with short jogs of between 30 - 60 yards. You are getting comfortable with running. Don’t overdo it at first.

If you are not too sore during first 21 days, add a workout day. Don’t add a workout day during last 7 days so you can see how your body responds to jogs.

Adapt this program’s guidelines as needed.

Intermediate(I):

Days:

1)Jog/ walk equal distances for a total of 10 minutes. Add 1 min, first one walk, then one jog, every workout. Rest every 2 days.

2)Jog/walk for 11 min, equal distances for both

3)Rest

4)Jog/walk for 12 min

5)Jog/walk for 13 min

Follow pattern. Let your body determine how to adapt this exercise schedule. Take all of your rest days. If you wish, you may take long walks on off days. Only walks. Be sure to stretch.

Towards end of this cycle, you may jog for longer distances while cutting back on your walks. Or, you may stay at a previous day’s program if you need the break.

Let your body tell you how fast to progress.

Advanced(A):

Days:

1)Jog 1 mile, walk 3 - 4 min, repeat. Add ¼ mile to jog every workout, or every week, or something in between. You decide. Rest between 1 - 2 days per week. You may continue this cycle for 8 weeks. Towards the end you can decrease walks to 0.

Be creative and continue to listen to your body for signs of overwork or ability to do more. Feel free to substitute another activity for a run. Dancing, basketball, tennis, hiking or whatever you enjoy would be fine.

Consider keeping a training log to motivate and inform you. Keeps me pushing ahead & I am constantly surprised by progress.

Cycling & swimming aerobic exercise programs

Example: For cycling, add a few minutes to each day’s workout, or add more hills, do fast-slow interval training. Be creative and have fun.

Do the same for swimming, adding distance, laps, etc. You can also keep distances the same but push for better times. Again, be creative and have fun.

Plateaus

Most people hate them. I love them. Why? Because they tell me to ease up & switch to a maintenance program or, better yet, to do other activities (cross train). Now I feel free to indulge in

1)yoga

2)karate

3)basketball

4)treadmill

5)Cross country skiing

6)Rowing machine

7)Stair climber

8)Rope skipping

9)dancing

10)Step aerobics

So many choices, so little time.

If you are not having fun by now, something’s wrong.

After a bit of cross training, I come back to walking & jogging. To make them more interesting, go to different locales, get a new partner, compare progress this cycle to the first cycle.

The best aerobic exercise program?

For now, understand that everything about our design, psychology, history suggests that we were made for walking. We are great walkers even compared to other animals whose speed and strength we can never hope to match.

If we are “social animals” we are also “walking animals.”

Everything else we do is simply an add-on to walking. Whether we cycle, swim, sprint or do Tae Kwon Do, they are all add-on activities to our natural physical activity, walking.

Luckily walking is easy to do and has great health value.

Examples? The best aerobic exercise program for losing weight is walking. What’s more, what other exercise can you do 2 x per day and not burn out on? In fact, walking 2 x per day is the best prescription to lose weight.

Another, it’s even ok to walk on a full stomach. Beat that!

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