When we talk about exercise, we nearly always refer to physical exercise. Exercise is the physical exertion of the body – making the body do a physical activity that result in a level of physical fitness and mental health. In other words, exercise aims to maintain or enhance our physical fitness and general health. In this article, we will tell of the different sorts of exercise and ways they benefit the body.
Cycling
To ensure correct form while you cycle, tense your stomach muscles to pull your navel inwards. Pull your stomach in tightly and downwards slightly, towards your pubic bone. Try to maintain this throughout your cycling workout and after a short time, it will become your natural cycling posture
Here are some benefits derived from cycling;
- Cycling gets your heart rate up, which burns calories and can lead to weight loss (if you eat sensibly).
- While cycling,you activate your abs to keep stable as you pedal. Your abdominal muscles form part of the body’s core muscle unit, which provides a stable platform for riding and allows you to use your upper body for support and smooth steering.
- Your abdominal muscles (and the posterior muscles of the abdomen) contract isometrically to provide stability. These constant contractions in your core help to tone the abdominal muscles. They also improve abdominal muscle strength and endurance
The number of calories burned biking a mile will depend on your weight and how fast you cover that mile, but as a general indicator here’s a couple of examples:
- A 150lb person cycling a steady pace of 14 mph will burn 48 calories per mile, that same person traveling at 20 mph would burn 56 calories per mile.
- A 200 lb person biking at a normal speed of 14mph will burn 64 calories per mile, if they sped up to 20 mph this would increase to 75 calories per mile.
If you only ride once a week, you may be wondering why, despite your regular rides, you aren’t improving. That’s because, after just seven days without cycling, your body will start to lose some of the fitness gains you have made.
To keep progressing and improving your fitness, you ideally need to be riding your bike every 2-3 days, even if it’s just a turbo trainer workout. The minimum you can get away with and still see significant fitness gains is three rides a week.
Boxing
Speed bags are hanged from the ceiling and require you to develop a strong, consistent rhythm to your punches. You hit with a regular, circular motion, keeping your hands and the bag moving. This is one of the best ways to build your endurance, connection, and coordination with your hands. Run the speed bag for 3-5 3-minute sessions, resting 30 seconds between each interval.
Here are some benefits derived from boxing;
Build Strong Bones and Ligaments
Resistance training strengthens your bones and reduces the progression of osteoporosis. In boxing, focus pads and punching bags provide resistance as does your own body weight when you perform pushups, pull ups, lunges, burpees and various other exercises. Your joints,tendons and ligaments will also get stronger in response to working against resistance.
Using your body weight as can also help you maintain or increase your lean muscle mass which is absolutely critical to keeping your metabolic rate burning at maximum capacity. This is of utmost importance if you are trying to lose body fat.
If you are hitting the heavy bag,expect to burn around 202 calories every 30 minutes and a150 pound person can burn a whopping 816 calories per hour boxing
The time recommended is typically softened to one thing like this for 5 consecutive days in a week:
- Roadwork(30-60 minutes)
- Readying (30minutes)
- Bag work(30-60 minutes)
- Focus mitts and/or skill work, drills (30 minutes)
- Sparring (30minutes)
- Strength& learning (60 minutes)
- Warm-down and crunches (30 minutes)
Of course, it doesn’t perpetually happen during this order as roadwork are often done at the start or finish of the day. And bag work and ability work will precede or once sparring betting on once the sparring partners are prepared.
Weight Lifting
To get started, you will need a gym membership or a place at home to work out. You will also need some basic equipment, such as a pair of dumbbells or exercise bands or both. Some exercises work better with one or the other. You also need a pull-up bar of some sort. For the dumbbells, get a pair of 20 or 25pounders to start with. It’s better to go a little heavy so you don’t outgrow them in two weeks.
Here are some benefits derived from weight lifting;
Single-Arm Dumbbell Row
How to:
Start in a split stance (one foot in front of the other), back flat and torso leaning slightly forward. Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand of the front foot. Your other hand should be on a box or bench to support your weight
(a). With the dumbbell hanging directly under your shoulder, pull it up toward your hip
(b). Lower it back to the starting position and repeat
(c). Finish all reps on one side before switching to the other.
A well-executed one-arm dumbbell row builds a strong back. It all strengthens your shoulders, upper arms, and core.
A weight lifting session should last 45 to 60 minutes, plus foam rolling and at least a five-minute warm-up beforehand for 5 to 6 days weekly.
Jogging
Start slowly, take brisk walks at first and slowly introduce jogging spurts as you build your endurance. They say the ideal form is to land on the ball of the heel and you should push with your toes. A sign of good form is if you feel like you are gliding, with hardly any pressure or weight on your feet. Purchase the proper running clothes, but be especially particular with running shoes. They should be a half size bigger than your actual size, to give your toes wiggle room. Also, make up your mind if jogging on a treadmill or outdoors suits you better. Treadmill jogging is great because rain or shine, you get to do the activity.
Here are some benefits derived from jogging
Jogging helps you Lose Weight and Reduces Body Fat Levels
The benefits of jogging for women and men is that it almost has no equal with regard to weight regulation. It is estimated that you will burn roughly around 150 calories for every mile that you go jogging. Doing this religiously would increase the number of calories you lose in the long-run. This is one of the benefits of jogging every day.There is also the after burn effect as you will still be burning additional calories for the next 48 hours after your last run. This is also one of the most efficient ways to lose weight and get into shape. You will be able to achieve your fitness goals faster than if you did other cardiovascular exercises such as walking. Jogging is your answer to losing those extra pounds that just stubbornly won’t come off. Since it is weight bearing, it allows you to burn a larger number of calories per session
Calories Burned when Jogging exercise is undertaken
A person weighing 160 pounds can expect to burn 584 calories per hour by jogging at a speed of 5 mph. If you jog for 10 minutes, you would burn about 97 calories. Beside burning calories, it is recommended for one to be at least 30minutes daily for 5 days in a week.
Aerobics
Aerobics are incredible cardio activities that injects variety to an exercise regimen. It combines dance elements of conventional aerobics with stepping on a platform. Step aerobics can be done anywhere, at a gym or with a DVD to follow at home. Routines can be tailored to be low-impact, mid-tempo or high-impact, lasting anywhere from 30minutes to an hour. Step aerobics is fun and is a calorie blasting activity.Platforms are very inexpensive and can be purchased at your local sports store.
Here are some benefits derived from aerobics;
Manage chronic conditions
Aerobic exercise helps lower high blood pressure and control blood sugar. If you’ve had a heart attack, aerobic exercise helps prevent subsequent attacks.
Strengthen your heart
A stronger heart doesn’t need to beat as fast. A stronger heart also pumps blood more efficiently, which improves blood flow to all parts of your body
Increase your stamina
Aerobic exercise may make you tired in the short term. But over the long term, you’ll enjoy increased stamina and reduced fatigue.
Calories Burned in Aerobics
A 125-pound person will burn up to 600calories per hour performing step aerobics at a high intensity, whilst a155-pound person can burn about 520 to 744 calories in an hour performing step aerobics depending on the intensity level, according to Harvard Medical School.
If you weigh 185 pounds, you can burn about 622 calories doing step aerobics at a low intensity, or burn about 888calories participating in high-intensity step aerobics for one hour.
- At least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week — preferably spread throughout the week. Moderate aerobic activity may include activities such as brisk walking or swimming, while vigorous aerobic activity may include activities such as running. Aim to be active for at least 10 minutes at a time.
- Strength training exercises at least two times a week.
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.
Zumba
Expects to spend about an hour in your Zumba workout. Your instructor, who should be certified through the Zumba Fitness Academy, will take you through a warm up, routine, and cool down. There are thousands of Zumba workout video clips online.
Here are some benefits derived from joining Zumba
Full body workout
Zumba is both a dance class and a fitness class. Aside from its heart-health benefits, Zumba provides a workout for the whole body. From head and shoulder rolls that loosen up the neck and warm up the upper body, to footwork that strengthens and stretches calves and ankles, this fitness method touches on nearly every muscle and joint. Even those who are just learning the dance steps will find themselves waking up the day after a Zumba class with a definitive post-workout feeling.
How many calories does Zumba really burn?
Those in an average weight range, say roughly 120-170 for estimation purposes,are going to burn between 350 and 650 calories in an hour of Zumba, if they go at full intensity through the entire class. The exact expenditure during a class depends on a number of different variables, including exact weight,muscle content, fitness level and more.
Don’t get me wrong, 350-650 an hour is nothing to scoff at, and every calorie matters when you are trying to lose weight. And not only are the Zumba calories burned worthwhile and significant, it’s also a fun way to get in your cardio without actually feeling like you’re working out.
Train for five to six days each week
To get the best benefits from your at-home Zumba routines, you need to make sure you develop a good fitness plan. You should shoot for five to six days per week. If you are a beginner, you may want to try three to four days at first and work up to five or six days.
Yoga
Start with a brief meditation and intention
Sit in easy pose or accomplished pose (or any comfortable seating position) and take a few minutes to ground, center and focus inwards with one of our meditations. You may also want to set an intention, goal or prayer for your practice at the beginning meditation.
Use basic and beginning level postures
Make sure you have read our General Practice Guidelines before attempting any yoga poses.Start with one of our warm-up sequences and then try one of our basic yoga pose sequences and/or these simple postures: seated twist, cat, dog, down dog, child,cobra, mountain, triangle, and forward bend. Then explore our Yoga Pose section for other poses to practice.
End with Shavasana (relaxation pose)
Always end your yoga practice with Shavasana, resting on your back and consciously relaxing your body for 5-15minutes. It is also recommended to practice a short-seated meditation after Shavasana to integrate your yoga practice and transition back into the world
Here are some benefits derived from Yoga;
Prevents cartilage and joint breakdown
Each time you practice yoga, you take your joints through their full range of motion. This can help prevent degenerative arthritis or mitigate disability by “squeezing and soaking” areas of cartilage that normally aren’t used. Joint cartilage is like a sponge; it receives fresh nutrients only when its fluid is squeeze out and a new supply can be soaked up. Without proper sustenance, neglected areas of cartilage can eventually wear out, exposing the underlying bone like worn-out brake pads.
Protects your spine
Spinal disks—the shock absorbents between the vertebrae that can herniate and compress nerves—crave movement.That’s the only way they get their nutrients. If you’ve got a well-balanced asana practice with plenty of back bends, forward bends, and twists, you’ll help keep your disks supple.
Usually, performing yoga can help you burn around 100 to 450 calories in an hour, depending on the style, the pose,and the person. Ideally, you would do a full practice 2 to 3 times per week.However, if life gets in the way and you cannot do this it is more beneficial to do just a couple of poses every day (or every other day) than to do one long session per week.
If you are unsure how to go about this: take a few minutes to scan your body to see how you feel and what your body needs on this given day. Then select the asanas (yoga postures) that you think are right for you. Oftentimes, one pose will lead into the next and this will evolve into an organic, beautiful practice- which does not need to be long to be effective.
