Doing aerobics regularly can decisively improve your heart rate, you body condition, and your state of mind.

Over 20 years of research have shown that aerobic exercise is one of the best exercise you can do since it is a safe and complete work out as well as a fun sport to do.

Aerobics condition your heart and lungs, help you use oxygen more efficiently and help control weight and reduce stress.

A regular aerobics program gives you a sense of responsibility and the assurance of being in control of your body, which are two positive mental attitudes that are necessary to help reducing stress. Aerobics helps relax tense muscles, and regular aerobics activity increase the body's production of endorphins (a natural sedative) and catecholamines (chemical substances that help stabilize moods). So, aerobics can makes you feel happy.

"Aerobic" means literally "with oxygen" while "anaerobic" means without or with little oxygen. In order to understand what aerobic and anaerobic systems do in the human body, we must explain first what role they play during exercising.

There are three energy systems in the body in order to provide the muscles with enough energy to do any physical activity.

There are two anaerobic systems, and one aerobic system.

The anaerobic systems are used for high intensity exercise. One is used by the body for fast and quick physical bursts sustained no more than 15 to 20 seconds: sprinting, jumping, throwing, kicking & lifting heavy weights. It has the capacity to deliver energy immediately since it relies entirely on chemical sources of fuel. The second anaerobic system relies on glucose, the usable form of carbohydrate in the body. It provides energy for types of exercise that result in tiredness after 45 to 90 seconds of activity.

Shorter, more intense exercises would rely on the first anaerobic system.

The third system of energy is the aerobic energy system (AES). The word "aerobic" means that your body is using oxygen to supply for energy required for low to moderate intensity physical activity such as biking, jogging, skiing, dance aerobic, or brisk walking. There are three kinds of fuel used during an aerobic activity: carbohydrates (become the principal source of fuel whenever the physical activity is high in intensity, i.e., over 85% of Maximal heart rate), fat (used by the body during a prolonged work out), and proteins (do not provide more than 10 to 15% of the total energy required during the activity).

Knowing that, we clearly see that the power of the aerobic system depends on the maximal rate at which the body can transport and consume oxygen. Therefore, an aerobic exercise helps you to use oxygen more efficiently by reaching and maintaining your Target Heart Range (THR), i.e., a safe range of heart beats per minute during exercise.

Aerobics activities should be performed for a minimum of 20 to 30 minutes, at least 3 times a week to maintain body condition, more often in order to burn fat.

Oxygen is necessary to allow chemical transformations in the body. The heart is the muscle that pumps oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. Aerobic exercise increases lung capacity (intake of oxygen) and strengthens the heart muscle (more effective pumping of oxygen), helping the body to clean more effectively and rapidly and helping reducing risks of heart diseases. Aerobics can also increase your body level of HDL, a substance that carries cholesterol out of the blood system.

Aerobics can also lower blood pressure. A sedentary person's heart beats 75 times per minutes versus regular exercisers' heart beating 55 times per minute. So to speak, in a year, a sedentary person's heart beats 10,512,000 times more than an active one. Therefore, aerobic training maximize your cardiopulmonary efficiency which means your heart accomplishes more work with less efforts, and your lungs can make more place inside your body for more oxygen intake. As a result, you feel fit, you avoid illnesses, you chase away laziness, you think more clearly, and you memorize better. Aerobic exercise forces the lungs and the heart to work slightly below their maximum capacity (the Maximum Heart Rate, or HR Max). This range is to be found between 60 and 80% or your HR Max; it is called your Target Heart Rate, or THR.

Your THR depends on your age and your level of fitness, i.e., your actual Heart Rate, or HR.

To take your HR, take your pulse.

Place your fingertips, two fingers below the base of your neck, or in the depression next to your windpipe on you neck, just over the artery. Count the number of pulses you can feel for 10 seconds, and multiply by 6.

If you are well trained, you might count 10 beats for 10 seconds:

10 X 6 = 60 BP Minute as your HR.

Take your HR preferably when you wake up, for 3 days, and calculate the average.

An average person would count 70 BPM.

To be aerobic, raise your heart rate to you THR (Target Heart Rate) and keeps it here for at least 20 minutes.

Calculate your HR Max by subtracting your age from 220 and multiplying your answer by 60% (your minimal HR range during exercise to be able to work aerobically), and by 80%, your maximal HR. The lower number also suggests what is the safest HR for beginners, while the higher number could be your goal to improve your general fitness level.

Imagine you are an average person of 30 years old; your HR Max. will be:

220 - 30= 190 for a woman, and

226 - 30 = 196 for a man.

Your THR range will be:

190 x .60= 114

190 X .75= 143, for a woman, and:

196 x .60= 118

196 X .75= 147, for a man.

Check your pulse at your wrist or neck. Count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply that number by four to determine the number of beats per minute.

After 30 minutes of exercising, take your pulse.

For safety and maximal benefit, your number of pulses (if a trained adult of 30 years old) should be not below 114 BPM (60% of THR) and no higher than 142 (80% of your THR). Only athletes work over 80% of their THR. If you are a beginner, it is better you begin between a range of 50% to 60%; if you are out of shape but you have exercised before, begin between 65% to 70% of your THR.

We gain weight because we eat more calories than we usually burn them off. It is best to combine diet and exercise to lose weight, but it is even more important to provide your body with lean and strong muscles. Aerobic dance can help you to lose fat at the right places. Walking can burn up to 210 calories per hour, while a more vigorous activity, like handball, can burn up to 600 calories per hour.

Losing or maintaining weight cannot be done properly without building muscles. With age (starting about from 35), our ability to regenerate muscles decreases, our tissues are less elastic and we lose muscle mass. The muscle is less efficient as far as burning calories is concerned. Our metabolism slows down. The scale is not a good way to measure fitness. You can weight the same and have lost muscle mass. The same way, you might weight heavier but look leaner. The reason is that muscle mass weight more than fat. Measure your waist instead.

To burn extra calories, try to add some physical activity to your evening schedule: 10 minutes of exercise in the evening can increase your metabolism rate. Do not forget to eat your breakfast to boost your metabolism. And eat your main meal at lunch, and have a lighter supper. Of course cut off on fat, sweets and salt.

Remember:

It takes 20 minutes to the brain to get the message that your body is fed. So, eat slowly. Get out of the table with the feeling you are not full yet. Measure your portion, eat then wait for 20 minutes before you restart eating. Most of the time, you will not feel hungry anymore.

Eat breakfast and eat little during the evening when your body shuts down and do not need the calories anymore.

Drink plenty of water (at least 8 glasses of water per day).

Half of Americans are on diet or think they should be on diet. Most people come to exercising with the goal of losing weight or because they do not like the way they look. Some people talk about the "grey zone" in manner of dieting. What is it? Consider the "white zone" the period you spend dieting and stopping eating, and consider the "black zone" as the period you eat whatever you can find. Regular diets are, for the majority, going from one zone to another. There is a much more efficient way to diet than that; it is to find equilibrium and try to reach a lighter shade of grey through time. Do cut on fats, and do exercise, that is it! Easy to say? Let me explain:

Imagine you are angry and you want a snack. What do you pick up?

Menu A: Take 240 calories from a slice of wheat bread and fruits.

Menu B: Take 240 calories from a candy bar.

They both have the same amount of calories, but they do not play the same role in the body!

Menu A: 10% of the calories are lost in chewing and digesting; 20% more calories are lost because of fiber content and they go right through your body! The menu A is finally worth 150 calories, and it fills you up!

Menu B: 240 calories or so of fat are stored in the body, waiting to be used. And you still feel angry or the need of another candy bar because of the sugar present in it that stimulates you!

There are so many ways you can change your eating habits, but the best is to step into it gradually. Begin by restraining from eating sweets; you will not miss them anymore after a few weeks, believe me! Sweets means candy bars, sodas, cakes, etc.

Replace sugar by sugars the body assimilates fast like the glucose, present in fruits.

Then avoid animal products high in cholesterol such as egg yolks and liver.

Finally, reduce meat and cheese; replace them by milk and fish. Of course, try to cook with less oil. Oil can be replaced by citrus or water in most dishes.

Also, while you exercise, drink a lot of water.

If you do not do so, you might confuse your need of water by a need for food. If you feel very angry after exercising, that means, you should drink more water before, during and after exercising.

If you set your goal at eating 1,500 calories a day, you will eat 1,000 calories per day. This means fewer calories than most people and enough to fuel your body properly!

However, it is better to calculate your intake of calories depending on your present weight.

Do not set your goals too high and ease into dieting. Slowly is most surely.

To determine your current calorie intake, multiply your body weight (in pounds) by the number 15.

Say you are a woman of 180 pounds. You will set your calorie intake at 1,200 to lose two pounds a week.

Example:

180 lbs. x 15 = 2,700

Yes, since the more muscles you have, the more you burn fats in your body! At the condition you regularly and moderately train them! It is impossible to lose fat at the exact places we want; we cannot spot reduce fat. Too bad when we know that women tend to lose fat in their upper body first, then in their lower body. How come? Because some parts of our body is more resistant to the loss of fat. That is why men tend to gain fat in the belly region, and women around the hips...

Let's see: how many calories do you burn walking or jogging a mile?

Caloric expenditure is 62 calories per 100 pounds body weight per mile. That means that if you weight 150 pounds, jog or walk and you will lose:

62 x 1.5 = 93 calories

With each 1% inclination in your treadmill, you increase you energy expenditure to 7% because you work harder.

Losing calories is important, but it will be effective only if you exercise and gain muscles!

If you work on gaining muscle mass you will look slimmer, have better muscle definition, speed your metabolism, burn more calories even at rest, and eat more without gaining weight.

Men should have an average of 10 to 16 % of body fat; women should have between 18 to 25% of body fat to be healthy. Fat is good too!

How do you reach this ideal?

First of all, you must not crave, but eat enough calories everyday in order to being able to burn fat. Your body consumes hundred of calories per day by the work of your lungs, brain, digestion, etc. When you restrict your calories (less than 1200 for women; less than 1600 for men), your body reacts defensively. First, your will crave for high-calories food, then your metabolism will slow down, holding its fat instead of releasing it. What happens is that your body cells expect new fatty elements for storage every day. If the cells do not receive any fat, they will retain the fat they already detain; they will not give away their fat to the muscles because they want to keep on living. Since your muscles store sugar coming from glucose and fat is stored elsewhere in the body, your muscles while working will consume what is more readily available. That is while starving, your muscles will live first on sugar, then on muscle tissues. Loss of muscles will further slow down your metabolism.

Crash-diets cannot be sustained very long. Worse, when you end it, the new calorie intakes come back mostly as fat, not as muscle tissues. Therefore, the more low-calories diet you go through, the more you increase you body fat.

When you go on a diet, you usually go on losing weight, gaining weight, losing and gaining it again since you are unable to control your weight. Most striking is that every time you gain more body fat.

How does it work?

For instance, if your original weight is 150 pounds, and you have 25% of body weight. Now, you lose 20 pounds. When you regain your basic weight: 150 pounds, you will also gain 3% of body fat. And so on, and so forth:

Therefore, you still weight the same, but you have more body fat, increasing your risks for heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, joint problems, etc.

Combine aerobic exercise with normal intake of sugar and fat.

Sugar helps to burn fat; it works as the little wood you put under big logs in order to lit a fire. And fat is necessary for the life of your cells. Cells are made to take fat and release it while your exercise; it is a natural process. When you are not active or do not exercise, your cells combine fat molecules together, store them and make it harder for the body to retrieve them. While performing an aerobic exercise, your muscles need the fat to work naturally. Your body reaches for the fat because its needs fuel. But, in order for your body to be aerobic, it needs plenty of oxygen. In other words, if you are running and you cannot talk as in a normal conversation, your body is not aerobic anymore; it becomes anaerobic. When anaerobic, your body does not use fat as fuel anymore; it uses other elements. The same if you are obese and swim, even if swimming is aerobic, you will not loose much fat since your body cannot dissipate heat easily. Furthermore, for your body to be aerobic, you must move large group muscles located in your thigh and glutes. Swimming uses mostly you arms...

However, anaerobic exercise is not to be banished from your daily exercise.

Anaerobic exercise is good to improve the capacities of the body, to be able to do common tasks like moving furniture or carrying your groceries home.

Exercise like sit-ups, push-ups or volleyball that require bursts of energy can raise the Heart Rate, but, since they work only smaller muscles, they do not enhance the proportion of oxygen in the body, not improving the cardiorespiratory endurance.

However, they increase your metabolism, improve your appearance, increase fat burning capacity of your body, and strengthen your bones, decreasing risks of osteoporosis since you do resistance exercises.

So, fat and sugar are not to be banished from your diet?

Yes, this is true! But reduce their consumption, that is, to 65 grams of fat maximum per day! Only seek your sugar from glucose, not from refined sugar to be found in pastries. You will find plenty of sugar in flours and fruits. Avoid bad fat to be found in burgers and fries, saturated and hydrogenated fat from animal foods and processed snacks. On the contrary, you will find good fat in nuts, vegetable oils, flaxseed and fish. These fats are crucial to have a good immune system, a healthy skin and nerve fibers. Research has shown that a diet that is too low in fat can alter mood and behavior, making you more angry and hostile; too little fat in your body can lead to permanent bone loss and common fractures, and upset your menstruation cycle for women.

Fat also helps your exercise performance!

Overall, do not cut on anything, but eat properly and reasonably!

You can also boost your metabolism rate by new habits such as:

eating breakfast, eating dinner as early as possible, eating many meals a day (snacks with carbohydrates), exercising in the morning, walking fast or running 5-10 minutes than stopping 5-10 minutes then doing it again at least once a day, drinking plenty of water.

And be patient!

Loosing weight takes time!!!!

Your regular aerobics class is composed of 5 to 6 stages that you should respect in every workout. These stages keep you and your participants safe all along the work out, and even after, avoiding injuries and allowing maximal benefits. Stages include Warm UP-Static Stretches, a Cardio-High/Low center part followed by a Cool Down-Stretches, Muscle Conditioning and sometimes Relaxation.

Always remember to begin your classes with healthy tips, comments on body composition, safety tips, new discoveries in the area of medicine, weight loss, conditioning, etc. End your class asking for comments and questions, and be prepared to answer any question with patience and a welcoming attitude. However, never diagnose; you are not a doctor! Look open and willing to help, and remember that your participants make a lot of efforts to come to your class. Often they do not like their body or have a need of a stronger body. They want and are willing to reshape their lives.

A good instructor is the one who cares a lot about his/her participants' health and well-being. Smile, accept critics as a positive input, check for good form, be prepared to meet the people!!! And check for progress.

Finally, make sure you read a lot of books on fitness and try many different things that you can learn around. Be creative; do not do the same workout over and over again: it is boring and can lead to injuries. Show your interest in teaching, so you can feel needed and really reaching everybody's goals (yours, your participants', and your employer's). Watch out for overweight people; they can do less with fewer movements. Make sure you direct them to low intensity workouts, beginner classes, otherwise they will be discouraged.

The warm up is a mild exercise at low intensity: 30 to 50% of you HR Max. It prepares the body to move. It increases the blood flow to joints and muscles as well as the body temperature; it lubricates the joints to prepare your body for the rest of the workout. Warm up prevents damages to skeletal muscles, connective tissues and the heart. Muscles and tissues become more pliable, stretch more easily and are more resistant to tearing. Warm up is also essential to increase oxygen delivery to muscles and improve nervous tissue conduction.

In a warm up exercise, move the joints to their full range of motion, called also ROM, without pain. Your ROM is different from any other person and it may improve by exercising at the condition you do it everyday. Always follow warm ups by static stretches.

The warm up begins with an active phase at a low intensity level, but rhythmic, with a reduced ROM. Following the warm up come slow, sustained and static stretches performed in both sides of the body, from head to toe. It is a nice moment to check if your participants are breathing correctly.

The Cool Down occurs at the end of the class cession. Cooling down allows your body to have a rest while slowly decreasing your Heart Rate. It is essential, to avoid fainting, heart problems, and for preparing the body for a 10 minutes muscle conditioning followed by a series of stretches. Cool down is gradual; it enables large quantities of blood stored in working muscles to go back to the arms, legs, head, trunk, brain and other vital organs. A brutal stopping after a strenuous activity may cause blood to stay in the extremities because the veins of the legs are not forcefully squeezed by leg muscle work.

Consequently, you may feel cramps, nausea, dizziness or fainting. A cool down includes slow tempoed aerobic moves as in a slow-paced walking. Post-aerobic stretches increase flexibility. Flexibility increases joint mobility, exercise performance and reduces risks of injury. If you perform repetitive, slow and gradual stretches, your muscles can be lengthened about 20%, and tendons 2 to 3%.

Aerobic dance combines mental conditioning with physical fitness. It enhances your mood and kinesthetic perception by a series of combinations during which you can feel and visualize, and it also enhances your coordination by repetitions and memorization. It helps you to grow in discipline and endurance before you can feel some gratification.

The Cardio movements are designed to keep your heart rate in an aerobic range during at least 20 minutes.

The Cardio part of the workout comes after the warm up and before the cool down. It is the longest part of the workout and the more intense; it may last between 20 to 40 minutes. The music beat is the highest at this point.

Aerobic segments during each workout can be divided in 6 sections:

This can be followed by a relaxation phase of 5 minutes at the most. It is a mental process using mental images and an 8-8-16 counts breathing. Inhale by the nose for 8 counts. Feel the diaphragm lifted pushing air in your belly. Hold a few seconds, then slowly exhale through pursed lips for 16 counts.

Stretching is the capacity of a joint and soft tissue around joints to move to its Full Range of Motion, or ROM. Stretching should occur only after a nice warm up when joints are lubricated. After the warm up, avoid deep stretches and use only major muscle groups (thighs, buttock); you can always stretch deeper and farther during the cool down. Slow and gentle stretching safely and slowly elongates your muscles and tendons and gives you more joint mobility. Stretches should not be ballistic, i.e., never bounce in order to avoid the muscle reflex that would contract the muscle instead of elongating it. The reflex is provoked also by force, speed and over-stretching. Bouncing could be injurious to soft tissues. On the contrary, hold the stretch for at least 10 to 30 seconds for best results. Keep your muscles and joints flexible for good mobility and well being. Flexibility helps you to avoid common injuries and helps your performance. Stretching for 5 to 10 minutes before exercising and after your warm up reduces the risks of injury. After exercising, stretching reduces soreness. The more you stretch the more you become flexible. However, stretches should never hurt, but slightly pass the stage of being comfortable. If you are shaking, stop immediately and slowly find a more comfortable position. If your flexibility is not average, use a soft towel in order to stretch instead of your hands, or have somebody gently helps holding the part of your body you want to stretch. Never grab your toe, instead grab the middle of your foot in order to avoid over-stretching, or hold behind your thighs.

Never sit with one leg behind you; instead put it forward to avoid pressure on the knee and risk of permanent knee instability.

Lying down with one leg behind can also be disastrous for the soft tissues.

Here are some good habits for step stretches:

Do not forget to breathe; exhale during the extension. When sitting, place hands on floor for back support. And relax!

And always be conscious if you are not hurting any other joints while stretching. Since the ROM is different for everyone of us because of genetics, age, medical history, structure of body and length of ligaments and body weight, do not try to compete with anyone and take it to your level and needs. A good stretching should promote warmth and circulation to your joints, prevent soft tissue tears and maintain the length of your muscles and give it a lean form. A good way to renew stretching exercises is to add balance exercises to it (provide a support for beginners). Of course, put on emphasis on muscles you had or you are going to workout, beginning by the lower back, then switch sides.

There are a few stretches you must never intend to practice. These stretches are part of the yoga routine and can lead to grave injuries if not very well controlled.

For instance, prefer the half cobra position to the full cobra since it puts too much stress on the back.

See bad stretches on the left column (in dark pink) and good stretches on the right column (in yellow)

Static stretching is slow and active. Gently ease into a controlled stretching, pressing to a point of tightness till you feel the muscle working without pain. Release. Then continue stretching a little beyond this point, maintaining the position for 20 seconds while the muscles relax and feel heavier. Slowly relax.

The PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitatory) stretches allow muscles to be stretched with intermittent isometric (holding) contractions. Voluntary contract the muscles to be stretched for a maximum of 6 seconds, then relax and stretch. Or completely contract against a resistance the muscle opposite the muscle you want to stretch. Then relax and stretch the antagonist muscle.

Aerobic exercises are the best exercises to lose body fat. Why? Because when you work aerobically, you use more fat than carbohydrates for energy, reducing your need for food intake. Are aerobic all sports that require a constant effort like fast walking, running, swimming, biking, aerobic dance, etc. However, your ability to work aerobically depends a great deal on your level of fitness.

If you have a high fitness level, you can walk one mile in 15 minutes and be aerobic all the time.

If you have a moderate level of fitness, you need to slow down and walk one mile in 20 minutes. The reason is that if your body is not accustomed to this sport, your heart will pump many times more than for a person who does the same exercise regularly.

So, if you try to walk 1 mile in 10 to 15 minutes, you will be working anaerobically instead of aerobically; you will have defeated the purpose! The purpose is to work aerobically so you can strengthen your heart and lose fat! So, working anaerobically, you will get tired very quickly and burn a small amount of fat in the muscles.

If you are out of shape, your aerobic level can take to 25 minutes or more.

The more fit you are, the more your body will activate special enzymes that will break down stored fat and deliver it to active muscle tissues where it will be burnt. This will happen through active, regular and vigorous exercise. Only aerobic exercises can, safely and effectively, deliver stored fat under the skin to deep muscles.

But anaerobic exercise is also necessary during the Cardio part of your workout in order to challenge yourself and crosstrain.

Interval exercises for instance permit you to lose 4 times more calories than with a regular workout. Interval training is the act of doing a fixed number of repetitions over a short period of time, from 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Your anaerobic threshold is the level of exercise to which you accumulate significant amounts of lactic acid in your bloodstream.

Lactic acid accumulates when there is not enough oxygen in your muscle to work out. You can perceive your threshold since lactic acid gives you a feeling of burning. With regular training, this anaerobic threshold rises, i.e., you delay the point you will begin to accumulate lactic acid. In order to accomplish this goal, exercise continuously at a very fast pace or do intervals interspersed with recovery periods. Interval training can lead you to a state of depletion. This method really boosts your metabolism!

Depletion or training your muscles to store sugar is important if you want to be really fit. Teach your muscles to store more sugar by exercising them until the glycogen is nearly used up. Replenish them by eating carbohydrates just after exercising.

Finally make sure you alternate high intensity exercises with low intensity exercises in order to allow your body to recover and to crosstrain. Diversity in the choice of exercises is also a good way to keep motivated and constantly challenge your body.

1. Weight training tones your muscles which looks great and raises your basal metabolism which causes you to burn more calories 24 hours a day, even while sleeping.

2. Weight training can *reverse* the natural decline in your metabolism which begins around age 30.

3. Weight training energizes you.

4. Weight training has a positive affect on almost all of your 650+ muscles.

5. Weight training strengthens your bones reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

6. Weight training improves your muscular endurance.

7. Weight training will NOT develop big muscles on women....just toned muscles!

8. Weight training makes you strong. Strength gives you confidence and makes daily activities easier.

9. Weight training makes you less prone to low-back injuries.

10. Weight training decreases your resting blood pressure.

11. Weight training decreases your risk of developing adult onset diabetes.

12. Weight training decreases your gastrointestinal transit time, reducing your risk for developing colon cancer.

13. Weight training increases your blood level of HDL cholesterol (the good type).

14. Weight training improves your posture.

15. Weight training improves the functioning of your immune system.

16. Weight training lowers your resting heart rate, a sign of a more efficient heart.

17. Weight training improves your balance and coordination.

18. Weight training elevates your mood.

Working with dumbbells has advantages over other strength-training equipment. They permit you to workout every part of each muscle, anytime, almost anywhere. Furthermore, they are more effective and produce quicker results than using machines and the movements involved during the lifting are closer to real-life movements. Dumbbells strengthen muscles for practical purposes such as lifting a baby or suitcases. Machines, on the contrary, isolate muscles. Dumbbells work more muscles each time, working together the assisting muscles and the stabilizing muscles, improving your coordination and your balance. For instance, a shoulder press works biceps and triceps at the same time.

For standing exercises, feet open shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Do not lock knees. Look forward, chin drawn inside to keep a good alignment of your neck with your spine.

Keep the dumbbells as close to your body as possible without touching it. Tighten abdominal muscles and squeeze buttocks as if you would like to hold a sheet of paper between them, this for maximum safety.

Performing extensions requires moving only part of the arm or part of the leg. During extensions, keep in place the body part closest to your body, allowing the joints to rotate while performing side movements. Make sure your arms do not lift farther than the shoulders.

While performing front/back movements, bend elbows slightly and twist wrists. Wrists face each other when hands are close. If performing moves at the waist from side to side, make sure you give a slight movement at the hip leaning on the side that is working in order to avoid too much pressure on your sides.

Never ever hold your breath since you may choke under the pressure built up in the trachea. Breathing during exercise also brings essential nutrients to your muscles. Breathing is a sign of how hard you are working. If unable to speak as in a casual discussion while exercising, slow down! Breathing should make the exercise easier, not harder! Inhale at the beginning of the movement, and exhale on the extension, when the muscle is tight.

Do not arch your back. If you feel that you cannot avoid it, just put one of your feet forward and lean onto it; bend your knees while performing.

Never jerk the weights, but strive to keep a gentle control of you weights.

Before lifting heavy weights, always begin by the same set with lighter weights. You should increase the load slowly. Never overload your muscles right away. And never begin any exercise without warming up first. You can feel you are warmed up when you begin to perspire; this state can take between 10 to 20 minutes to be reached. Walk, then run very slowly (like a toddler), and then increase the speed slowly before stretching.

When you pump your muscles, use maximum repetitions, until they are fatigued for maximum benefit. And always begin by recruiting several muscle groups before targeting individual muscles. This way, the isolated muscle is enough fatigued and does not support overloads. Perform exercises at 70 to 75 % of their utmost strength.

That means you cannot complete more than 3 to 5 repetitions. Muscle training should develop endurance and strength, not give you bulking muscles.

A bodybuilder would train for brief, very intense exercises followed by long periods of rest so the muscle can bulge. You do not want to do that! So, keep your physical activity to a moderate intensity. Aerobics is well suited for women since it focuses on the lower body.

Give your body at least 24 hours for recuperation between workouts. And do not try to lift more weights that you can handle. You will feel more benefits going slowly with lighter weights. Drink plenty of water. Avoid over-training, and cross-train (run one day, swim the other, bike, dance, alternate, and chose one day low intensity exercise, another day high intensity).

There is a very interesting way to train muscles using choreography. Try exercises like the Tamilee Webb RUBBERBAND method. The main idea is to train two big muscle groups together. At the same time you do aerobic moves such as lunges, horse shoe, etc, using a tube in coordination. The workout seems immediately less boring, and you train more thoroughly.

However, do not forget stretching regularly and provide some interludes after each set.

Interludes can be some kind of gentle and choreographed stretching movements or they can be sets of gentle taps and arm shaking.

Muscle Conditioning is important for the overall stability and strength of the body. It is beneficial till the end of life if well maintained. Muscle conditioning is good for the bones because bones grow stronger and denser with stresses put on the muscles around them.

Denser bones mean less problems while aging (their density begins to decrease around age 30) and less risks of osteoporosis (the breaking of bones). You can maintain the density of your bones when exercising.

Also, the same person with a different muscle mass will either stay fit or gain fat.

The person with more muscle mass will burn 50 more calories per meal than a person with less muscle mass. The first person will control his or her weight while the second person will gain about a pound of fat every two weeks.

Since there is 3,600 calories in a pound of fat, the first person will avoid storing 3,600 calories every two weeks.

Remember that women cannot have big muscles; they can only tone their muscles due to the small presence of the male hormone in their body.

Muscle toning should be an essential part of your cross-training workouts. Do it preferably 3 times a week.

Note that, aerobics make you lose weight and whoever loses weight loses muscle mass as well.

Each muscle conditioning cession should be preceded by a warm up and followed by a cool down in order to warm the joints and stretch the muscles. This is important to avoid injuries or pain after the activity. Muscle conditioning does not only consist in lifting weights, pulling bands or do stabilization exercises; teachers should also include in their classes strength, stability, balance as well as flexibility exercises.

Begin the cession by working the largest group muscles (thighs, back, chest) and work your way to smaller muscles (shoulders, triceps, biceps, calves, forearms), and make sure you stretch between each set so the muscles can regain their original length making you feel taller and more relaxed. End up each cession by squeezing the large group muscles in order to restore blood to the inner organs and the brain. Lunging up and down the room is a good way to do that!

If you want to focus on tone and endurance, use smaller weights, do longer sets (10 to 20 repetitions for each set), and use short rest periods between sets.

If you want to focus on strength, do sets of 3 to 6 repetitions, and use long rest periods of 2 minutes or longer.

Finally, if you want to focus on muscle size, use 7 to 12 repetitions per set, and use medium rest periods of about 1 minute, using heavier weights.

The rule is when you can do 12 repetitions easily, increase the weight, but increase the weight gradually (3 to 5 pounds for a beginner; 8 pounds to 10 for an advanced level) in order to spare your joints and your ligaments.

Take the same time to lift and lower since you work your muscles in both ways; you can even let down the weights a little slower to avoid injury. Isometric movements (holding the position) can also increase muscle strength. You can also take it center then lift up, center-up, or pulse it.

Make sure you leave one day of rest between each cession. When you weight train, you put stress on the muscles breaking them down. If you could look at the muscle with a lens, you would see tiny cuts all along the muscles formed after exercising. When those cuts heal, the muscle appears bigger and stronger. If you deny yourself some rest, you could not enjoy all the benefits of your weight training.

When you teach a class, it is rather easy to spot if people are mostly listening or are looking at you for cues. Say the names of the moves at a fast pace, and see how many can follow you!

Most people rely on what you are doing and just repeat everything after you. If you have a bad posture, they will copy you; if you turn, they turn. This is why it is important first to teach your participants how to place their body, how to achieve good form (posture). Give them also explanations on how their body is working so they will not copy bad habits. You want to give them a kinesthetic understanding of their body so they can feel the moments they are natural and the moments they are close to injure themselves.

Second, teach them the names of the moves. Most of the time people rely on sight because they do not associate what they are doing with what you are saying. The body needs to memorize the moves, that's why we repeat the same move many times over during class. Your body needs to react directly to a word; it becomes a reflex. Doing so, you can feel at ease and concentrate in other parts of the workout such as posture and combinations. Give your participants a list of the names of the moves and go through some of them during class or while you are waiting for the class to begin, when everybody is relaxing. Describe what you are doing, the reason why a particular is named that way, and do comprehension checks while exercising. Try to develop good listening skills in your participants, so they can be on their own, work more safely, and be more aware, in control of what they are doing. From time to time, stop demonstrating and lead them by your voice for a few minutes; they will learn to listen to you. Make sure you explain why you are doing this, even put it as a small challenge. But do not explain everything since you might be responsible for misunderstandings. They are not specialists! They might not read about fitness like you do! One word can be exaggerated!

It is strongly recommended to use specific listening cues during each workout. Here are some of them, but you can still be creative:

When the music is too fast to announce the next movement, create a sound your participants can recognize, such as saying: yup, go, hein hein, etc. You can clap your hands at the end of a 4 times movement in order to announce the following movement.

It helps a lot to repeat twice the name of a movement 2 to 4 beats before you actually go to the next move.

When you repeat the same movement 4 times for instance, make sure you announce it. For example, say: tap up tap down for 4; here is 3; here is 2; one more; kick, kick, right here, now.

Use a count down to prepare the participants to what comes next or to announce a change in the music beat.

Aerobic music is different from the regular music; it has a pattern of its own specially designed for aerobics dance.

It is a x32 counts musical phrase; it is based on phrases of 32 beats. The beginning of the 32 counts music is natural, then the music gradually decreases in intensity until 16 beats are counted, then rises till it reaches its peak after 32 counts when there is a slight break in the music to announce the next x32 counts phrase. You must get used to this pattern before you teach any aerobics class since the whole workout will be based on the music.

[________________________________] + [________________________________]

32 counts or music beats + 32 counts or music beats

[Music gradually decreases] [Music rises in intensity] PEAK [………………………………………………………]

in intensity

[______________] + [______________] + [______________] + [______________]

[________________________________] + [________________________________]

32 counts or music beats + 32 counts or music beats

The music's tempo describes a series of waves.

Some regular musics have this pattern. If using regular music, make sure you select music with the same BPM (beat per minute) than the heartbeats. It is logical since the frequency of the beats you find in the aerobics music must match the heartbeats of your participants.

Count the beats in the music during 10 seconds, then multiply by 6, and you will know the BPM of you music; it is like taking your pulse.

Music beat varies from one music to another; some tempo phases are faster or slower, depending on what you want to achieve. The general rule is do not select a music that goes higher than 160 BPM since it is too fast to workout.

In aerobics specially designed music, the BPM are written just in front of the name of the partition, on the front cover of the tape or the CD. Take it into account!

During the Cardio segment of the workout, Low Impact aerobics should use music of 130 to 145 BPM; Hi-Low Impact should follow a pattern of 130 to 160 BPM.

Slide or step music needs a low rhythm to allow time to go up and down, side to side, so the music should be between 118 to 124 BPM.

Muscle conditioning should use a constant music without variations of beats so the movements can be consistent and be followed easily, so a music of 100 to 120 BPM.

Finally, stretching and relaxation would need a tempo below 100 BPM or no music at all, but I noticed that stretching following a music of 100 BPM can be invigorating very early in the morning, before people go to work.

So, each segment of the aerobics workout uses a different music tempo.

To be aware of these guidelines help avoiding injuries and frustration during class time. Be sure you stay away from anapestic music, a music with a da da DA rhythm, the contrary of the heart beat!

On the contrary, use a da DA, da DA rhythm. Anapestic music is frequently used by rock stars such as the Rolling Stones. Anapestic music can actually decrease your participants' muscle strength considerably, as well as create tension and confusion.

Music is not destined to stress, but to stimulate and help vanish frustrations, helping people to release their tensions, to feel more love for themselves, and hold on to the end of the class. Music is filled with many emotions and transmits many emotions. Do not underestimate the effect of music during class time; it can help the participants to leave with a sensation of well being. The last minutes of a workout are crucial since they can leave a definite impression on the participant. Therefore vary your music; do not bore them with the same tape all the time and use music they can rely to or enjoy without using those musics they hear all summer on the radio.

When you count the music during your workouts, separate the moves by sets of x32, x16, x8, or x4 beats or counts.

There is basically a set of 4 segments in one set or combo (combination); each segment is x8 counts:

8+8+8+8 = 32 counts

Each segment corresponds more or less to 1 move.

Your workout can be composed of 1 to 2 combos during the Warm Up and the Cool Down; 2 to 4 combos, or even more, during the Cardio (center part of the workout).

Example:

But you can also combine the same combo (x32 counts) with different counts for each segment:

Or you can combine the same combo in order to fit x16 counts instead of x32 counts for a faster pace:

When you begin to teach a combo, you need to break it down in two different ways. First of all, you want to put a combination together, so you have to teach it slowly to make sure people can follow you easily. The general rule is to repeat each move for a number of times, then decrease the number of times you repeat it. Along the way, add on new moves, till at last you reach your combo made basically of 4 moves.

Example (begins by right side, right leg leads only):

The first combo is:

The final product is:

Repeat this last combo a few times before you move on to the next combo. At the end, you can combine 2 or 3 combos together to form an entire choreography depending on the abilities of your participants.

Now that you have learned to teach a combo and you feel comfortable with it, you need to know how to teach each move or new moves.

Break it down!

Non stop:

x1 counts: 1 Tap Up Tap Down on your Right

x2counts: 1 Across the Top

x1counts: 2 Tap Up Tap Down on your Left

Show also variations of more or less intensity.

Show options to your participants so that if they are tired, the can slow down (for instance, lunge instead of doing jumping jacks), or if they feel really fit they can increase the intensity of the exercise ( for instance run instead of walking).

Do not vary the intensity during the Cool Down and the Warm Up since they are periods of easy work.

Cueing is therefore much more than demonstration and giving orders; it is actually teaching!

Verbal cues are crucial. Use them to cue footwork, direction of move, rhythm and name of moves. It is very helpful for your participants as well as for yourself to count down the last 4 to 8 beats of the music before initiating a new move.

Say for instance:

When you announce the next movement, be short and to the point to avoid confusing people and make them trip! For instance:

Instead of saying: Take a Grapevine to your Right side (at least x4 counts time to say it!)

Prefer saying: Grapevine Right (x2 counts time for saying it)

An instructor who cues poorly can develop among the participants anxiety, confusion, a feeling of failure and the impression of not being right into the music. But using your voice is not enough! You need to develop personal visual cues too...

Give hands signals at all times!

Raise both arms over your head in a V shape to signal a forward movement, then lower one arm to signal the direction you want to take next (corner to corner, diago).

Point the ground with one finger to indicate which leg leads.

Point both finger and index towards your eyes to signal a watch me period during which participants will maintain a holding pattern.

Raise one hand above your head to signal a holding position (march in place) or to stop.

Count on your fingers, holding your hand to the side in the air to announce either Single or Double repetitions or to count down to the next move.

Describe a circle into the air with your finger to signal to do it again.

Point your finger in the direction you want to go: forward, backward, sideways,...

Cross your arms on your chest to signal add arms.

These are a few signals you can use since they are fairly easy to follow by everyone, but you can create your own visual cues depending on the situation. Use cueing as a teaching tool for safety and to instill confidence into your participants.

Teaching means that you should initiate beginners but also teach advanced participants to the basics of aerobics. For some people it can be a complete discovery or a reminder for others. The instructor's responsibilities are great.

Respect yourself; respect others.

It is easy to come to class unprepared, to rely on free choreography (improvisation) and to enjoy yourself while teaching. Some employers even advertise: "Be paid to work out!"

Maybe you spent a lot of time preparing a wonderful choreography and found just the right music for it and you find it frustrating to return to the basics or to change steps the next week, so, you keep doing the same thing for months. But, what is the point to teach the same class over and over again? For some people, it is reassuring to do the same choreography for a long time because they know it well, feel freer to move and they can be at their best! But this attitude can be harmful for the body since your body needs variety and challenge to stay fit!

The same thing is true for your mind.

You do not want to do aerobics like you watch TV, right? In order for your body to learn more on coordination, stability and balance, your brain needs a workout too. It is your brain which controls your body while your performance is controlled by the muscles and your degree of flexibility. Your body reacts by releasing substances that relaxe your brain and even make you happy. Body and mind are in harmony; together, they develop a kinesthetic sense.

So, when you are teaching, make sure you describe how a specific movement feels, which muscles and joints are working, and make sure others feel the same, make sure they can associate a position with a specific feeling or sensation, make sure they can rectify their position slightly to ease pain or discomfort.

Never take things for granted!

Cueing is also being aware of the diversity in your classes. People react differently to your cueing and sometimes you need to adapt them to a certain population. Cueing is teaching your participants how their body works!

People can come to your classes with different goals: to lose weight is the most frequent, but also to increase strength and endurance, to gain more coordination, to look more attractive, to stop a bad habit such as smoking, to experiment new things, to be challenged, to be with people, to learn something, and so on and so forth. Not only people come with different perspectives; they also come with different backgrounds, ways of life, ages, ethnicities, levels of fitness, levels of education, etc.

Your goal, as an instructor, is to satisfy as many people as possible, not to satisfy yourself, not to discourage them! Of course, if you do not enjoy doing this, it is better to do something else since people can perceive your degree of motivation, and they can also perceive if you care for your fitness as well as for other people's health.

Enthusiasm and professionalism are the key points for success!

Motivate your participants.

Sometimes they just need a few words to come back or to go though the hour. Also rise their interest, their curiosity and make them understand what you are trying to achieve. Try not to dissociate movement with the ability to understand it; sometimes what keeps the participants motivated is the connection they do with reality. Remind them now and then the health benefits of exercising and how squats will help them to lift their furniture while dusting under. Remind them good form (posture). Stress the importance of keeping a back straight while stretching forward; remind them to imagine somebody pulling them up by the spine each time they do upward moves. Speak about shifting weight from side to side while doing side kicks, not in term of lifting a knee up. Speak about taking a lot of space while doing intense step touches, instead of saying "take it low or high", so they can portray themselves going from side to side, not up and down. Imagery is very important while teaching; it has been used for generations by dancers who can easily link their moves with a story or a landscape. In classical dance, the center of gravity is imagined to be along the spine since classical dancers must keep great dignity; in modern dance, it is imagined to be in the solar plexus because dancers twist their body a lot; in aerobics dance, imagine it at the hips to keep balance since most steps are lower body moves, especially if you do steps or slide.

Whole in all, an instructor who cares about his or her participants' understanding of aerobics will give them a means to be in control physically and spiritually during the workout, and even outside the classroom. The benefits of a fitness program should reach outside too!

Give personal inputs, communicate, work with people, not along with them!

To instruct aerobics is not only linking neatly together a series of moves, it is also a combination of communication, intelligence, knowledge, understanding, good will, and many other personal skills...

The way you are going to cue will depend on your own attitude towards your class. You can repeat the exact same sentences over and over again, or add variety to the way you direct people. You can choose to tell people to do exactly like you do or to leave them the choice to do things on their own when they do not like what you are doing.

Do you want them to work hard or do you want them to feel good while having fun? It is your choice! Each class is different, more or less easy to manage, but you can still influence a mood, an attitude in people who attend your classes. This is why it is important to signal different levels of intensity for most of the moves during the Cardio part of the workout and the muscle toning part.

Some people have knees problems, some others have feet or lower back problems, or even shoulder problems. Some people are older, obese, some not yet fit, some are ashamed to do certain moves, some are not flexible enough, some hate some moves like interval moves or kick boxing moves, or just cannot perform them. You have to accommodate all these people! So make sure you give as many variations as possible. Frequently reassure, encourage, tell them they look great, that they are doing fine, stress the idea that they should take it at their level of fitness and to the capability of their bodies.

Do not stress competition! Speak about your experience. They should understand that to be fit is a gradual process depending on time and regular exercise. They should keep in mind that everybody is different, that they do what they can or what is more suited to their taste, that everybody has a body that does not resembles other people's.

Make sure you tell them that you do not mind them doing things on their own if they want to (funk, swing, create new steps, etc.) and tell them you also had problems doing those steps at the beginning, that they do not lack of coordination, that anyway they will acquire balance, coordination, flexibility, strength with time. This sounds trivial, but sometimes people need to know that instructors also "hurt" while exercising. Challenge them, but not too much, so they will not feel obliged to do like everybody, to compete.

Instructors should not only be aware of what participants are telling them, but also what these participants imply by it (which can be different from one person to another.)

Walk towards new people, inquire about their name, their medical history, their goals. Present yourself, smile, be agreeable, and from time to time introduce people to each other, maybe while doing activities in pair.

It is good to exercise in a relaxed atmosphere and meet new friends!

Welcome critics as a means to improve your teaching and not like a personal attack. To give appreciation sheets to fill in is a good thing to introduce in your classes; only make sure you do it any time so you will not receive only comments from people who always come to your classes. People who come regularly tend to like what you are doing, so their appreciation can be but positive, and you do not want people to tell you all the time that you are great, or do you? A few compliments can be soul lifting, but a few critics can really be motivating; it is an opportunity to review what is working and what is not working, to put your philosophy of teaching in question. If you do not have a philosophy, it is time to think about it. Do not assume that people do not see your weak points even if they seem to appreciate what you are doing. Your participants may be more aware of what is wrong during the cession than you are because they are watching you all the time!

You may feel that you are doing your best, but you are not achieving your goals? Do not worry. Even well prepared instructors can make mistakes or design poor classes. If you are a new instructor, you will certainly make many mistakes during your first months of teaching. Do your best and do not take it too hard; you are learning after all. The most important goal for you is to improve. The worst instructors are those who never evolve in their teachings.

At the end, create your own style!

There are many paths you can take in order to reach your own personal goals. Most of the time your employers will ask that you have at least a Bachelor degree in some branches of fitness. Sometimes it is not necessary for teaching, but it is better to stay tuned and have an interest in the field of health or physical education. Almost all employers will ask you if you are certified or if you had a training towards the Certification. With the Certification, you will earn more money and have more possibilities.

In order to take the AFAA Primary Certification, you need to have a current CPR Certification. AFAA is the Aerobics and Fitness Foundation of America. The CPR is the Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation delivered by the Red Cross.

It does not hurt to have as well the First Aid Certification. To study for the AFAA Primary Certification, the Exercise Science Fundamentals Home Study, Practical Teaching Skills workshop, Aerobics Theory and Practice, books edited by AFAA, are good precursors.

In order to complete the requirements for the Certification, you will also need basic knowledge of:

1) Anatomy and exercise physiology

2) Cardiovascular/medical considerations of aerobic exercise

3) Injury prevention

4) Correct exercise execution and instruction

5) Appropriate class format and instruction techniques

6) Sports nutrition

Contact AFAA at this address:

AFAA Host Site Dept.

15250 Ventura Boulevard, Suite 200

Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-3297

Kick Front

squat (Plié)

Hamstring Curls

Horse Shoe

Side.(boxing)

Fan Kick.(boxing)

The Cross.(boxing)

Lunge Front

Mambo

Basic Right

Basic Left

Across the Top

Over the Top

A-Step

V-Step

K-Step

Lunge Front

Lunge Back

Abduction

Squat

Repeater Knee

Repeater Hamstring curls

Tap Up Tap Down

1) Pop Turn Over:

Knee Lift (R.) facing front wall, Half-Turn (L.). Across the bench (hop it), March on floor facing back wall.

2) Charleston Kick:

Kick front (right leg on bench) than lunge back (left leg on floor)

3) Around The World:

(Right) Knee -Straddle-Straddle-(Left)

Knee, march on the floor-half turn, (R.)

There are 4 types of aerobic workout intensity:

You can use one of these variations, or combine them to alternate periods of high intensity level with periods of recuperation.

Some workouts use only Non-Impact activities such as kick boxing, water aerobic or exercise ball (resist-a-ball) workouts.

However, no classes should be made of High Impact moves only since the body needs some rest. Intervals are High Impact workouts of 30 seconds to 1 minute high energy moves followed by periods of recovery or Low Impact moves.

HIA (High Impact) workouts includes jogging, hopping, jumping.

MIA (Moderate Impact) :

NIA (Non-Impact) :

Aerobic workout can help you to reach and energy expenditure of 12 Kcal/min.

Aerobic energy expenditure does not significantly vary between HIA and LIA, but the work on the muscles is more or less intense. Clearly knowing yourself in terms of your past history, your risk factors, and your present physical status will help you to select what kind of energy impact suits best your needs.

Here is a questionnaire that could help you determine the persons at risk:

Have you been or are presently treated for one of these conditions?

To determine your fitness level, run during 12 minutes or for 1.5 miles, and measure your speed. You are fit if:

Or:

65 % of the body weight is water. Athletes can lose from 3 to 5 pounds of water per hour on a very hot day!

If you exercise during a long time without drinking fluids, the blood volume to your heart is reduced, making the heart work difficult. Without delivery of hot blood to the skin for cooling, the body temperature rises very high. The brain may not receive enough blood, making you faint or feeling very tired. This lack of water can also occur over a period of several days when you did not drink enough water. Pay attention! You may be dehydrated but not feel thirsty. Why? Because your body needs a large concentration of salt in your bloodstream to tell your brain you need to drink. Since when you perspire you are loosing more water than salt, you may be dehydrated (loss of 2 pounds of water at least) without your brain receiving yet any message of thirst!

Layer your clothing. The first layer should be close to the body; it corresponds to the undergarment. The second layer can be a loose suit that slips easily if needed.

Overheating can be really uncomfortable, but worse, if your body cannot get rid of the heat due to clothing operating like blankets, your natural body-heat mechanism can be upset. A prolonged overheating can lead to cramps, dehydration and heat exhaustion. Choose absorbent materials in order to absorb the perspiration, in other words cotton.

Foot support and good traction are as important as anything else; they avoid you to slip. The arches and the ankles should be well supported, especially if you have flat feet, and shoes should have solid laterals with firm, yet smooth soles for liberty of movement in complete safety. Usually aerobic shoes have a relatively narrow and low heel to allow for sideways movements. If you suffer from weak ankles, a high-top variety can make your life more comfortable.

Leave one thumb of free space at the end of the shoe for best fitting, and try many different brands. Each person's feet are unique! So, do not hesitate to take shoes home, try them at your gym and return them if they do not fit! You should change shoes every 6 months if used intensively.

Each person has a different body, but to know one's type can help prevent injuries and set reasonable goals. Genetics play here a great part, but also our way of living and our choices during young age.

There are basically 3 body types, but one can combine two types together:

What is the origin of a bad posture, also called bad form?

Usually it is a bad habit, especially among sedentary people: people who are sitting all day or are working on the computer or people who stand all day. The downward pressure of gravity on the skeleton will cause it to buckle at the hips, the knees and the ankles. Since weight is mostly located in front of the spine, the body will tend to fall forward, giving you a bad posture.

There are 5 group muscles that help to hold the body erect; these muscles are the back, the abdomen, the buttocks, the quads and the calves.

A good posture ensures a minimal friction and pressure on the joints and less risks of injury for the muscles, ligaments and tendons.

To develop a kinesthetic sense, that is, to develop body awareness is essential to teach good posture, control your body and be more balanced. To develop this sense, stress the sensation of position, of balance, the feeling of muscle contracting and relaxing, the shifting of weight, the different flexion of the body parts.

Why is it so important?

Because body awareness will make you feel bad whenever you assume a bad posture, i.e., when you move incorrectly, ineffectively or not safely. On the contrary, a good posture will make you feel good, in control, reduce pain in the body and make you use efficiently all the possibilities of your body. You will look directly more confident and relaxed, and also more graceful!

A bad posture makes your body looks unnatural due to some kind of asymmetrical body lines. On the contrary, a good posture is established by stretching the top of your head high as if pulled up by a string; the chin does not protrude but is pushed naturally inwards and the head is straight. Your shoulders are pulled back and down, chest up, the pelvic girdle pulled down and under towards your navel; buttocks and abdominal muscles are tight; knees are soft, not locked, and your feet are parallel, turned forward, supporting equal weight on both sides.

To know if you have the perfect posture, put a light object on your head and walk without the object falling over.

Since muscles work in pairs, stretching and strengthening each pair (abdominal with back, quads with hamstrings, etc.) will help developing good posture. It will also help to avoid only one group of muscles to be overdeveloped, therefore contributing to muscle unbalance. Too much abdominal work might make your back bend and your shoulders slouch. If you are sited all day, and in order to restore your muscle balance, it would be a good idea to stretch your hamstrings that must be very tight, and tone your quads that you barely use.

1) Understanding balanced positions

2) Developing a kinesthetic awareness of your body postures during movements

3) Developing strong, yet relaxed muscles, and flexible joints.

Localized soreness can occur 48 to 72 hours after discontinuing exercising. To avoid soreness, make sure you are stretching (slow and controlled stretches) before and after each set of exercises. Warm compresses and massage can also help. If the soreness lasts more than 3 days, you may have strained a muscle.

A pulled or strained muscle is not a very good sign in your workout. This kind of pain appears when the muscle or the tendon has been over-stretched. To avoid strains, start the exercise with the larger group of muscles (thighs, back, chest) and work your way down to smaller muscles (shoulders, triceps, biceps, calves and forearms.)

If you strain a muscle, stop exercising immediately. You will need a few days of rest. Strains heel easily if not ignored and properly cared for.

Sprains are severe injuries. A sprain occurs when the ligament is pulled or twisted exaggeratedly.

Sprains are accompanied by severe bruising and swelling.

Elevate the injured body part higher than your heart. Watching TV while resting is therefore out of question. You should lie down completely.

Roll a few layers of bands around the injured limb, then secure a frozen vegetable package over the band. You can also use blocks of ice that you put inside a towel and crush against the floor or a wall. Leave the ice for 20 minutes against the injury and remove it for 20 minutes. If too uncomfortable, put the ice in place for 20minutes and renew the treatment every hour.

For all injuries, time is a master word.

Your feet support all the weight of your body and they are an important organ in your body since they stabilize you and help keep balance. Do not underestimate their importance during your workouts; a feet problem can show by revealing knee or back pains.

Sometimes it is a bad posture that is at the basis of an injury; sometimes it is genetic.

Begin by wearing a shoe appropriate for aerobics. This kind of shoes should be like that:

1. Padded heel collar

2. Sole is flexible at ball of feet

3. Toe box adequate height

4. Support strap (shock absorption)

5. Strong arch support

6. Sole with matches heel width; slight heel lift

When you run, your feet can strike the floor with the force equal 3 times your weight. The foot plays the role of a cushion, i.e., you land on the outside, lateral part of the foot and you roll toward the inside, medial part of your foot. This phenomenon is called pronation and it helps distribute the force of the shock on your leg evenly.

After the pronation phase, you go through a supination phase, in other words, you roll back toward the outer lateral part of your foot. The supination phase raises yourself on the ball of your foot in order to move forward.

Now, people who have flat feet roll in so far when moving that their arches roll underneath their feet, touching the ground. But they may also be born without an arch. This excessive roll of the foot can cause foot, leg and knee pain, even hip and lower back pain. These people need special shoes with an extra arch to rectify the position. They can also find an insole with an artificial arch they can place inside their shoes.

As a rule, if you feel pain in your heel, stop exercising or trade walking, running exercises for cycling or swimming.

Stretch your calf muscles, but if the pain persists consult your doctor. In addition to wearing arch supports, look for shoes with a flexible sole at the toes.

People with rigid ankles and high-arched feet can develop a stress fracture on the bones of the feet (metatarsal). This occurs when you increase your work load suddenly and when your foot do not roll normally inward to cushion the shock. Usually, it heals by itself after a few months.

To avoid feet problems, reduce the force striking on your feet by running on the grass, and wearing shoes with extra cushioning.

Shin splints are pains in the lower leg. They are very common and are due to damaged muscles of the foot. The treatment includes resting and strengthening the injured muscles since most of the time the injury is due to muscle imbalance or the tearing away of attachments on the bone. To heal, lift objects with the foot, or raise yourself up on your toes, or slowly roll the ankle on the ground while standing.

Achille tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendon attached to your calf muscle and your foot. Either your tendon is too tight or you put too much stress on it (for instance when you do step training and you systematically put your feet all the way down while doing back lunges). It hurts more when you wake up or when you begin an exercise and it hurts less when you continue to walk or exercise. Stretching can help avoid injury except when it already hurts.

Knee cap problems are due to the rubbing of your knee cap on the femur (the long bone of you thigh) where it should fit and move up and down as you run. Knee cap problems are due to a shallow groove where your knee cap is supposed to fit. You develop an injury because your knee cap sits above this groove, or you have bands underneath your knee cap or it is due to excessive pronation joining an excessive rolling of the knee cap outward in order to compensate the pronation (inward rolling movement of the foot). This problem results from a muscle imbalance in your quadriceps or from having flat feet.

There are 3 muscles in your quads that pull the knee towards the outside, and one muscle pulling it inward. So, your knee caps move laterally.

Limit pronation by putting inserts below your arches, and strengthen your vastus medialis (the most inward muscle of the quads. Stand up with your knees locked, then contract your quadriceps during 10 seconds; your knee caps should raise. Or, sit on the floor, legs apart, toes pointed outward, and slowly raise one leg up and down.

Hamstring Pulls are due to a gradual or a sudden pull on the upper back of your legs. If pain happens in the region, stop exercising, try rowing, swimming instead, and strengthen the injured muscle. To do so, attach a small weight to your ankle and slowly bend your knee backward.

Lower Back Pains is the lot of more than 80% of people. If that happens, consult with your physician. These pains can be due to stress, or to strained muscles and ligaments that support the bones of your back, or to arthritis.

When the pain is severe, rest on a flat and hard surface.

However, most lower back pains are caused by weak, inflexible or too flexib