Cardio – Respiratory Workouts

5. Run on surfaces that cause less impact: For running, bitumen surfaces are better than concrete, clay surfaces are better than bitumen, cinder surfaces are better than clay. When running for prolonged periods – the harder the surface – the more is the impact on the knees and ligaments. Running on harder surfaces increases the chances of injuries. If you have no choice but to workout on a hard surface, make sure you wear shoes that have good cushioning. Many experts discourage running cross country – due to the high probability of injuries due to sprains and falls. It’s a matter of personal choice again.

6. Run on level surfaces: When you run on surfaces that are sloping towards one side, one foot tends to roll more inwards than normal while the other rolls more outward than normal. Over time it tends to injure the ligaments due to unnatural wear and tear on the knees and ankles. So when you run on such surfaces, like on the sides of a road, try and run alternately on both sides so that the effect is ultimately balanced out.

7. Running down slopes: There are few things that damage the knees more than running down a slope at full clip. So while you can jog or run as fast as you can while doing so up any slope, take it easy while jogging down. Make sure that your pace is relaxed and your foot falls and rolls forward softly in a smooth motion when you jog or run downhill.

8. If you’re reducing weight, try and keep up the aerobic activity for more than 30 to 45 minutes: When you perform aerobic activity, initially, the body takes its calories from the carbohydrate present in the blood stream. Once this is expended the body turns to the glycogen present in the muscles and the liver. Only then, does the body resort to metabolising the fat stored in the body for its energy needs. Depending on your individual body characteristics, this takes 30 to 45 minutes of continuous aerobic activity. So, if you jog for say just 20 minutes and stop, the body uses the calories present in the blood. The instance you take the next snack or meal, the lost glucose is made up. The fat in your body remains where it is. So if you are doing a cardio exercise to reduce weight do it continuously for a minimum of 45 minutes, even if it means slowing your pace to be able to do it. Not that doing aerobic activity for a lesser duration would be without benefits. But this way you stand a better chance of burning the unwanted fat with each workout.

9. A minimum of two aerobic workouts a week: Ideally you must do about four aerobic regimens in a week if you are looking for high levels of cardio-respiratory fitness. Less than two aerobic workouts will not let you improve on your aerobic fitness levels. In fact your fitness levels may come down if the intensity of your workouts is not good enough. A slow but steady improvement is required as a motivating factor for sticking to a regimen.

10. If you are looking for that six-pack: Often one comes across people who have been doing endless crunches and sit-ups to reduce their waists, but to no avail. Well, that is because the waist will reduce only if the fat around it burns, which will happen mainly through aerobic forms of exercise. Doing only sit-ups will strengthen the abdominal muscles without burning the fat settled around. So the abdominal exercises have to be coupled with a healthy dose of aerobic activity if that six-pack has been eluding you.

11. Wear the correct shoes: It is very easy to buy an expensive shoe from a reputed brand, which ends up injuring you if you are not aware of what kind of shoes you should buy. Shoes for jogging, for basketball, for tennis, for squash, for sprints, all need dynamics that are quite different from each other. Apart from that, the peculiar construction of your feet and the running style also dictate the kind of shoe suitable for you. It will help to get an expert guidance on the type of shoes you need for a particular activity.

12. Have Fun: It would help for you to identify an aerobic activity that you enjoy doing. If not, identify an aerobic activity and find ways and means of making it more interesting. You can workout or jog with music, change the routes or the routines, increase or decrease the pace, anything to make you look forward to the activity. This will help you be more regular.