Aerobic Cross Training for Weight Loss

Do you sometimes get bored with your
aerobic exercise? Do You sometimes
feel like you're not getting the results
you should from your aerobic exercise?
If so, then aerobic cross-training is
for you.

Aerobic cross-training refers to using
two to three different types of aerobic
exercise during an exercise session. For
example, if you plan to exercise for 60
minutes, you might start with 20 minutes
of walking or jogging, followed by 20
minutes of biking, and finish with 20
minutes of rowing.

Now, please don't get the impression that
you have to be in great shape to do this
or that it has to be 60 minutes long.
You can start with something as simple
as a ten minute walk followed by ten
minutes with an exercise video. This is
cross-training too. You can gradually
build up from there.

Here are some of the exercises you can
use in your cross-training program;
walking, jogging, biking, rowing, stair
climbing, swimming, exercise videos, etc.
Any combination of aerobic exercises
will do. You simply go from one to the
next with very little time between
them.

Aerobic cross-training is beneficial to
you in several ways:

1. It provides variety which eliminates
the monotony often associated with doing
the same exercise for a long period of
time.

2. If your exercise sessions are
less monotonous and more enjoyable, you
are much more likely to exercise more
often and for longer periods of time.

3. You are less prone to over-use
injuries that sometimes occur from
doing the same exercise movements over
and over again.

4. You tone more muscles because you are
using more muscles. For example, walking
tones mostly the lower body muscles and
rowing tones upper body muscles also. Even
exercises like walking and biking that
both tone lower body muscles, tone them
at different angles and each tones some
small muscles that the other doesn't.

5. Aerobic conditioning is very specific
to the muscles being worked. For example,
you can walk ten miles a day and still be
somewhat breathless after climbing stairs
because you haven't trained the muscles
for that specific movement. Aerobic
cross-training allows you to develop
more comprehensive aerobic training.

6. Aerobic cross-training is effective
for weight loss because your are toning
and training the fat-burning systems
of more of your muscles. It turns more
of your muscles into 24-hour fat-burning
machines! You are also more likely to
exercise on a regular basis and for longer
periods of time. this also promotes
weight loss and fitness.

Author and exercise physiologist, Greg Landry,
offers free weight loss and fitness success stories
and targeted, highly affective weight loss programs
for women, men, type 2 diabetics, and people with
slow metabolisms and hypothyroidism. http://www.Landry.com

Related articles