Home
>
Weight Loss
>
Aerobics Imposters

Aerobics Imposters

In health clubs, they run classes that call themselves "aerobics". As you will come to see, they are neither aerobic, nor are they the best way to lose the excess fat. The main thing they accomplish for you is losing weight from your wallet.

True Aerobics

The word "aerobic" literally means "with air". It is the opposite of anaerobic (without air). These terms refer to the way in which your cells are providing the energy for your muscles to work. Anaerobic means sugars are being burned without oxygen, which creates a by-product of lactic acid. This lactic acid accumulates in your muscles, causing them to feel like they're burning. Aerobic means that blood sugar and fat are being burned in oxygen, which has only carbon dioxide as a by-product, which you exhale. Low intensity exercise is aerobic because you can inhale enough oxygen to meet your muscles' energy needs. High intensity exercise needs far more energy, but you can't breathe in enough air to keep up, so you feel "out of breath". But your muscles still need the energy, so they switch to anaerobic. However, you can't burn fat in anaerobic mode, only sugars, so you can't keep it up too long, and you're not accomplishing your goal of fat-reduction.

Whatever activity you choose, you know you're in an aerobic mode if you can take deep breaths and carry on a conversation. If you're taking fast, shallow breaths through your mouth, then no matter how slow you may be going or what kind of activity it is, you're doing it anaerobically. Does that mean that walking to the store is aerobic activity? Yes. Most things you do all day are aerobic. For it to be exercise, though, you have to raise your heart rate. So, get the blood flowing by walking fast, and you'll be burning fat in no time.

For aerobic exercise to be effective, it has to be long duration. When you start to move around, your body will burn blood-sugar in oxygen aerobically, but it won't trigger your fat cells to provide any fat to burn right away. Your body would prefer to wait for your next meal to replace the blood sugar. It's only when you show your body that it will need more energy right away that it will recruit fat from your fat stores. Once the fat starts to flow, you have to burn it, or else it will be re-deposited unused. So what does that mean? When you do a low-intensity exercise, it will really do you no good until you pass the 15-20 minute mark. Until then, you are just burning blood-sugar. Once the fat starts to flow, that's when the work really begins, and you should continue exercising and burning that fat for at least 20 more minutes if you continue your low-intensity activity. If you switch to a higher-intensity activity, try to breathe as deeply as possible to continue your aerobic burning.

Use Your Biggest Weapons

If your goal is fat-reduction and you want to achieve it as quickly as possible, you must use your biggest weapons. Larger muscles burn more energy than smaller muscles. Therefore, your choice of exercise should make use of your largest muscles, which are your gluteus maximus and your quadriceps... your butt and your thighs. Walking, jogging, stair climbing, cross country skiing, rollerblading and bicycling are all great examples of activities you can keep up for a long period of time, while breathing deeply and using your largest muscles. Swimming, unfortunately, is mostly an upper-body activity, no matter how hard you think you're kicking.

The arm movements that you see some "power-walkers" doing, as well as the complicated patterns in "aerobics" classes at the gym are doing nothing to speed up weight loss. Arm swinging can improve your circulation and keep your mind occupied, but is not necessary, and certainly is no substitute for a good leg workout.

High Intensity Usefulness

High intensity exercise has it's good points, though. It is important to remember that a well-conditioned heart and lungs can fight heart disease and stroke, and makes all forms of exercise more effective. The only way to improve the function of your heart and lungs is to push them harder than normal, into the anaerobic side of things. When you're struggling for breath, breathing rapidly, and your heart is pumping at its maximum, you are making them more powerful and prolonging your life. Although anaerobic exercise does not burn fat while you're doing it, the exercise itself raises your metabolism so that you burn fat afterward for several hours. This is because your body is replacing all the energy you used. My other recommendations can be found in my article on Exercise.

Those high-intensity classes offered by health clubs are good for some people, but there's no good reason for you to join one if you've never done it before. For some people, it makes the workout fun, which is a great motivator. The coach or instructor is also a great source of motivation because they encourage you to continue and push harder. Many people need that. Just remember that it is NOT aerobic exercise. The complicated patterns and arm movements serve no purpose, and if you can't keep up for more than 20 minutes, it may be a waste of time. For most men (and women) it is far better to do a nice low-intensity warm up for 20 minutes, followed by a moderate to high intensity run or bike for another 10-15 minutes. To get the best aerobic benefits, try to breathe deeply throughout, because that's what aerobics is really about!

Aerobics is good, but there are better exercises for weight loss, read my article called Exercise: Essential.

Aerobic exercise can be a part of your weight-loss equation. But the most important part you can't find in a gym, learn more on my site.

David "Mr. Weightless" McCormick is the founder of Weightless Products, the best weight loss program for men. In his series of articles, he covers everything every man needs to know to lose weight fast and keep burning fat. There are no banners, no pop-up ads, no need to sign up, all articles are available in full for FREE. Wait Less for Weight Loss, visit mr. weightless today!

whole house cleaning Highland Park ..

In The News:

Survive flight disruptions with expert travel tips: Book early morning flights, download airline apps and know your refund rights during service cuts.

Apple's iOS 26.1 update delivers major security fixes, performance boosts and enhanced privacy controls for your iPhone. Discover why updating now protects your data.

Russian hackers use fake CAPTCHA tests to spread dangerous malware targeting governments and journalists. Learn how to protect yourself from these deceptive attacks.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Miami-Dade debuts America's first autonomous police SUV with AI cameras, drone deployment and real-time crime detection in groundbreaking law enforcement pilot.

Bank impostor scams cost Americans $2.9 billion as criminals use AI voices and caller ID spoofing to steal life savings. Learn nine essential fraud protection tips.

Foreign-owned apps secretly harvest personal data from seniors, making them prime targets for scams. Learn how to protect your privacy and stop data brokers today.

Sens. Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal introduce bipartisan GUARD Act to protect minors from AI chatbots through mandatory age verification and disclosure requirements.

Ghost-tapping scammers exploit wireless technology to drain accounts through small transactions, but RFID-blocking wallets and transaction alerts can protect you.

French pilot project demonstrates wireless charging roads that can deliver over 300 kilowatts of power to EVs while driving, potentially eliminating range anxiety.

YouTube's Ghost Network spreads information-stealing malware through thousands of fake videos offering cracked software, using compromised accounts and fake engagement.

Protect your privacy by disabling your smart TV microphone. Most TVs have hidden mics that listen even when voice commands are off. Learn quick steps to stop unwanted audio capture.

SessionReaper vulnerability hits Magento and Adobe Commerce stores, compromising 250+ sites in one day. Hackers steal data and hijack shopping sessions.

Master essential parental controls and digital safety tools to protect your kids online. Learn screen time limits, location settings and privacy controls every parent needs.

Cybersecurity expert shares six essential steps to protect against dark web threats, including data removal services, password managers and antivirus software.

NVIDIA GPU space mission could revolutionize cloud services by enabling orbital data centers that make apps, games and AI tools faster and more efficient.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Microsoft warns Windows 10 users face serious security risks as 90% of ransomware attacks target unsupported systems. Learn why upgrading to Windows 11 is crucial.

Nike unveils Project Amplify, revolutionary motorized shoes developed with Dephy that add powered assistance to every step for runners and walkers.

Cybersecurity experts warn about one of the largest credential compilations ever found, urging users to check "Have I Been Pwned" and change passwords immediately.

Quick iPhone and Android battery optimization techniques help your device stay powered all day by turning off hidden features that secretly drain power in the background.

Kodiak Driver autonomous truck achieves perfect 98 safety score, matching top human fleets in groundbreaking AI evaluation by Nauto's VERA system.

New 401k catch-up contribution rules in 2026 will change taxes for high earners over 50. Learn how scammers exploit these changes and protect your retirement savings.

Kurt Knutsson's guide covers social media privacy protection through location settings, account privacy controls and two-factor authentication to prevent scams and data breaches.

Revolutionary retinal implant restores central vision in 80% of patients with advanced macular degeneration, offering hope where treatments once only slowed blindness.