Phases of Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise is a great way to increase the efficiency of your heart and lungs, take off those extra pounds and tone up your body. When exercising aerobically, however, it is important to realize that your workout should be broken up into three distinct phases: Warm-up, aerobic workout and cooldown. These three phases help prepare your body for the intensity of exercise, reduce the chances of a workout-related injury and safely return your body to its resting state.

The benefits of warming up prior to an intense aerobic workout session include more effective calorie burning due to an increased core temperature, decreased chances of injury, improved range of motion in your joints and better muscular contractions. The warm-up phase should consist of using the muscles you’re going to use during the workout and getting your joints and muscles ready for the movements associated with the specific exercises in which you're engaging. Since the purpose of the warm-up is to prepare your body for the intense exercise to come, it should last only between 5 and 10 minutes, but the warm-up should be intense enough to raise your heart rate before you begin intense exercise.

The aerobic workout phase of an exercise regimen is the time when you increase the intensity of your exercise program, raising your heart rate to it's target aerobic zone, thereby increasing the delivery of oxygen to your muscles. This phase often lasts between 15 and 50 minutes, ideally lasting between 20 and 40 minutes. Whether you’re taking a step aerobics class, jogging or performing Zumba, the exercises you're performing should be performed at a high enough intensity to raise your heart rate and body temperature, but not so vigorous that you become faint or dizzy.

During the aerobic workout phase of your exercise session, it is critical to take your body to its target exercise zone in order to reap the maximum rewards. This zone is measured as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. If you don’t know your maximum heart rate, one good rule of thumb is to subtract your age from the number 220. This will be your maximum heart rate. You should exercise at between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. After you subtracted your age from 220, multiply the number by .6 and .8, and you will know your target heart rate for your workout. It is also important to understand that you should exercise aerobically at least three times a week in order to reap the rewards of your exercise program.

After your invigorating aerobic workout exercise phase, it is important to allow your body to return to its resting state, slowing your heart rate and breathing down to normal levels. The cooldown phase should ideally last between five and 10 minutes, and should include very low-intensity activities like walking, sport-specific movements, or marching in place. This portion of your exercise session is the ideal time to stretch your muscles and joints while they are still warm from the intensity of the aerobic phase, since stretching can reduce the chances of muscular soreness and help you to recover from the intensity of the aerobic workout phase.