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Determine what sort of aerobics you want. Set aside enough time to meet exercise recommendations. Pre-prepare a workout plan. Wear clothes that let you move. Prepare a large, clear area. Make a good workout playlist. Keep a water bottle handy.

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Some people are happy putting together their own workout, but more often this involves finding a program that appeals to you. Aerobic classes tend to have a lot of factors to consider when joining one. Some major ones:  Gym or home? Do you prefer going to a gym, or doing workouts at home with a DVD player, YouTube video, or the like? The type of aerobic genre. There are many types of workouts, including:  Targeted audiences: Aerobics for senior citizens, men, pregnant women, and so on. Themes: boot camp, martial arts, hip hop dance, Latin salsa, and more.   Instructor. Classes tend to focus around the directions of the leader, (whether in real life or virtual) and if it is not a good match for you, it can ruin the experience. Different aerobics instructors will have different personalities, sensibilities, and demeanors. High versus low-impact. A more lengthy explanation of the pros and cons are below. Your current fitness level. If you are in great shape, maybe a very energetic program is for you. But if you are just starting out, you will need a more beginner program. Regardless of your goals — losing weight or just improving overall health — you won't see or feel any change in your body unless you exercise regularly.  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get at least 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic exercise (low-impact aerobics) or 75 minutes of strenuous aerobic exercise (high-impact aerobics) per week.  So one hour-long low-impact aerobics class per week isn't enough to meet professional standards for a healthy lifestyle. Set aside enough time throughout the week to reach your exercise goals. Another way to approach your routine is to elevate your heart rate for half an hour every day, taking a day off here and there.  If you are trying to lose weight, you should increase the amount of time you dedicate to exercise, as these recommendations are a minimum guideline for healthy living. Regardless of what type of aerobics you're doing, you want to make sure you're working out your entire body in a thoughtful manner. Of the five recommended elements of physical activity — aerobic exercise, strength training, core exercise, balance training, and flexibility — aerobics itself is simply one piece of the overall picture. However, with a little bit of pre-planning, you can incorporate steps and tools into your workout plan that help you achieve the recommended balance.  Aerobic exercise: obviously, you want to keep your heart rate elevated throughout. This is why aerobics instructors ask you to march in place in between steps rather than stopping and taking a break. If you can speak easily, you're not working out hard enough. Strength training: Holding hand weights while performing your aerobics routine will help build muscles in the arm, while adding ankle weights will build leg muscle. Core strength: Incorporate moves that target the muscles in your abdomen — windmills, for example. The addition of hand weights while performing windmills will result in an even better core workout. Balance training: Many moves in aerobics require you to shift your weight from one foot to the other. Focus on the slow, deliberate transfer of weight and the balance of your body when doing these steps. Hamstring curls and ski jumps, for example, are a good opportunity to focus on balance. Flexibility: When performing steps that require stretching, commit all the way to the stretch. Windmills are a great example of an exercise where you may not be able to reach your feet at first due to poor flexibility. With some attention and practice, your flexibility will increase over time. Aerobics will lead you through a wide range of motion, so don't wear stiff clothes that will keep you from moving your arms and legs comfortably. You'll also sweat a lot, so wear clothes that won't make you overheat — athletic shorts and a t-shirt will work just fine. Make sure you're wearing shoes designed for exercise, not flats or work shoes. You'll be swinging your arms, kicking your legs, and moving around while doing your aerobics routine. You don't want to knock things over, so pull tables and chairs into a corner, clearing a large space where you can move freely without having to worry about breaking something or hurting yourself by running into a table. Studies have shown a correlation between a good workout playlist and increased workout efficiency. Because the main point of aerobics is to raise your heart rate, choose only music that has a fast rhythm, so you'll have to work hard to keep up with the beat. Only choose songs that you like, though! The more you enjoy the music, the more you'll get into the steps you're doing, and the better your workout will be. Furthermore, if you enjoy the workout because of the music, you'll be less likely to get bored and stop working out after a couple of sessions. As you're sweating during your workout, your body will begin to dehydrate. If you don't replenish your body with water throughout your workout, you can overexert and hurt yourself, so keep water nearby and drink whenever you get thirsty or need to cool down a little.