Step Aerobics
Step aerobics has been around for over 25 years and is still one
of the most popular and effective ways of exercising: in a class or
at home. All you need is a step and some upbeat music.
What Step Aerobics Can Do for You
When you do step aerobics you are primarily exercising heart and
lungs for improved cardiovascular fitness. You’ll also be giving
your lower body muscles a good workout: strengthening and toning
your bottom, thigh and abdominal muscles.
Working Your Upper Body
A good aerobic step class instructor will have your arms going at
the same time as your legs, increasing the calories burned during
your workout.
But in order to actually tone your upper body muscles you need to
add some extra weight to those upper moves to get the toning effect
your lower body gets by lifting your body weight. This is simple
enough to achieve using
wrist or hand weights or a small bottle of
water.
Intensifying Your Step Workout
Because stepping is a repetitive form of exercise, your muscles
will quickly develop in response and you should find that, after a
while, your step workout becomes easier. This is the time to
increase the intensity of your workout and there are three easy ways
to do this:
- Do your step aerobics routine to faster music, this will
quicken your stepping pace and make heart and lungs work harder.
- Increase the height of the step, making your lower body
muscles work harder.
- If your legs are strong you can add
ankle weights to keep you
working at high intensity.
Step Upgrade
Reebok have developed their step and produced the
Reebok Deck. Bigger
than a step, the Deck can still be used as a step for step aerobics,
but also doubles as an adjustable incline bench for using with
weights or resistance tubes. This means that as well as the aerobic
workout achieved by step, you can also have a strength, stretch and
resistance workout all with same piece of kit.
Lower Impact Aerobic Exercise
Suitable for all ages and abilities, rebounding provides a great
fun full body workout and is very low impact – great for if you’re
concerned about your joints. According to NASA rebounding is the
most efficient and effective exercise known to man, checkout the
Reebok Rebounder. |
