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As a person that has quit smoking only recently, remember that aerobic activity will help regenerate and even increase your lung capacity.
'Aerobic' is derived from the Latin word 'aero' which means 'air'. Aerobic literally means 'with air' or 'with oxygen'. Aerobic exercise increases the body's ability to deliver air, the life substance for each and every organ. Your lungs can generally move more then 10,000 liters (2500 gallons) of air per day, aerobic activity repairs your lungs and increases their capacity to handle the delivery of air.
How to make sure that you are exercising aerobically?
• Simply pay attention to your breath and your body. Don't push yourself too much - you want to be able to breathe comfortably while exercising.
It is a good idea to wear a heart rate monitor, as your heart rate provides a clear indication as to whether you are in an aerobic or anaerobic zone. General way to find the right heart rate for aerobic exercise is deducting your age from the number 180. For example, If you're 32 years of age your aerobic zone would be is around 148 heartbeats per minute. It is advisable to buy a heart beat monitor and ware it while you exercise and in such way maintain aerobic zone throughout the work out. It is further advisable to consult your physician as to your specific condition as well as fitness professional that can build an aerobic program most suitable for you. The following scheme is a general suggestion.
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• It is important to consider the first 15 to 20 minutes of the exercise session as a warming-up period. This is when you actually move the fatty acid that is stored throughout the body into your bloodstream. Because of this, the exercise that follows will burn fat instead of blood sugar.
• The goal when exercising aerobically is to hit your target heart rate, as explained above, and maintain it for the entire exercise session. This works the heart muscle more effectively and burns more calories. Whatever activity you choose to do after the warm-up, bring yourself to the target heart beat zone and maintain your pace until the 'cool-down' period.
• Stay in the target zone for 20 minutes, and later half an hour, and maintain your heart beat at the optimal rate.
• When you finish your training, never stop abruptly - you must continue for another 5-10 minutes of just walking and stretching. This 'cool-down' and stretching time allows your blood to gradually return from the muscles back into the cycle of normal body activities and functions. | |
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