Aerobic exercise recommendations

You can do some brisk walking during your daily commute, jogging with almost zero entry barriers, and equipment-free aerobics at home that you can do without going out. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to get a card or find a special venue. The most efficient aerobic is the one who can persevere.

When I helped my mother adjust her weight two years ago, she had an old knee injury and it hurt even when running and jumping. She followed the trend and went to square dance in the community. After dancing, her knees were swollen for three days, so I asked her to get off the bus two stops early from get off work every day and walk home. The speed doesn’t have to be too fast, just 1/3 faster than when you usually go shopping. You don’t have to hold your breath or shake your arms until they get sore. The intensity is just right so you can chat on the phone with people normally while walking. She walked like this for three months and lost 2% of her body fat. Her resting heart rate dropped from 78 to 69. During the physical examination, her blood lipids also stabilized a lot. The utilization rate of the fitness card she had spent 3,000 yuan on was much higher.

Oh yes, some people will definitely say that if walking consumes so little energy, what is effective aerobic exercise? This point is indeed controversial. Many people in the fitness circle believe that if the heart rate is less than 60% of the maximum heart rate (usually 220 minus age), it is not considered up to standard, and all the training is in vain. But I have asked the sports rehabilitation practitioners I am familiar with, and they recommend that people who are overweight, have old joint injuries, and have not exercised for a long time start with walking. If you can't even walk for 20 minutes, you will be out of breath, and your heart rate will rise to the aerobic zone. You will either be in pain for three days at a time, or you will be persuaded to quit. The consumption is low, but you can do it every day. The cumulative effect is much better than gritting your teeth and running once a week.

If you have better physical strength and can walk for 30 minutes without breathing at all, you can try jogging. My home is 3 kilometers away from the company. When the weather is good in spring and autumn, I basically run there. I don’t need to bring a change of clothes. I just need to control the speed to be able to answer the people asking for directions on the roadside. It takes about 12 minutes to get there. I just warm up and feel energetic for work all morning.

Many people worry about jogging because they hurt their knees. I specifically checked the sports medicine research in recent years. As long as your weight base is not particularly large (if your BMI exceeds 28, it is really not recommended to run at the beginning), your running shoes have basic cushioning function, and you don’t deliberately place your feet heavily when running. The wear and tear on knee joints caused by jogging is actually lower than sitting still every day. I have a friend who has been running half marathons for 5 years. The health of his knee joints during last year's physical examination was better than mine, which is sitting in the office every day. If you are really afraid of injury, you can run one day and walk one day, or you can find a plastic track in a school near your home to run on. The cushioning is much better than concrete floors, and it is more useful than spending a lot of money on kneepads.

When it rains or snows, or when you work overtime until 90 o'clock and don't want to go out, home aerobics without equipment is the best substitute. You don’t need any fancy equipment, just lay out a yoga mat and dance along with 15 minutes of low-impact aerobics. If you’re afraid of disturbing the downstairs, just do non-jumping movements such as leg raises and back kicks, and just move until your back is slightly sweaty. Many people say that doing aerobics at home is easier for paddling. I have also fallen into this trap before. After two minutes of practice, I wanted to reach for my phone to watch short videos. Later, I practiced regularly with the live broadcast at 9 o'clock in the evening, or I held a Tencent meeting with friends who also wanted to exercise to practice together, keeping an eye on each other, and my efficiency suddenly improved.

Oh, yes, don’t believe the old rumor that “you have to do aerobics for 40 minutes to burn fat.” I have talked with the exercise physiology teacher at Beijing University of Physical Education before. As long as you move, even if it is only 10 minutes, you will consume calories and bring positive stimulation to the heart and lungs. Don’t be scared by this false threshold and dare not move. If you can climb stairs at work, don't take the elevator. Don't stand for 10 minutes after eating. These are invisible aerobic accumulations.

I followed the trend and bought an elliptical machine worth more than 2,000 yuan. Now I keep it piled up in the living room with coats. After going through the pits a few times, I realized that there is really no need to worry about which type of aerobic exercise is the most efficient and fashionable. Others say swimming is better. There is no swimming pool near your home and you can't go there once a week. It is not as useful as walking 20 minutes to work every day. The core is just one: what you can persist for a long time without any effort is the most suitable aerobic exercise for you.

If you are still lying down scrolling through your phone and wondering which one to choose, why not put on a coat and go downstairs for a walk twice now, it is worse than anything else.