To get the most out of your aerobics workouts, you need to be aware of intensity and its role in maximizing your exercise results. Intensity is basically how hard you push yourself, and the strain you feel as you work out. Too little intensity, and you won’t see significant improvements in your cardiovascular strength or fat burning. Too much, and you could injure yourself.
The simplest tip for knowing you’ve found the right intensity level in an aerobic workout is if you can carry on a conversation, but it’s not easy. You should be able to form sentences and speak them without gasping, but you should be able to feel it taking some effort. As your strength and ability grows, so should the intensity of your workouts. It’s a good idea to have a conversation while you’re working out every now and then, and many gym trainers will ask you how you’re doing and talk to you to make sure you’re right there in the zone. If you find yourself gasping for breath, you need to slow down your speed, or lower the incline on an incline machine, or lower weights if you’re using weights, to bring the intensity down a little.
Don’t go into a workout with goals like “I want to walk at 5 mph for an hour” and then feel disappointed if you can’t do it. If you keep working out at the correct intensity level, you will eventually achieve any realistic goal you’ve set. Additionally, remember that from one day to the next, your intensity can change a little due to lack of sleep, a bug you’re fighting off, or what you’ve eaten.
You should never experience joint pain during or after a workout. Only your muscles should feel sore, and a stretching session after the workout should reduce that pain considerably. The key to finding your particular intensity level is to build up slowly. It’s always better to use too little intensity rather than too much, because using too much can cause pain that might prevent you from working out for several days in a row.
