Basic Requirements

Look for a class that includes the normal components of exercise identified earlier - warm-up, cardiovascular exercise, strength and flexibility activities, and a cool-down. The length of a class is usually 45 to 60 minutes. A good 60-minute class contains at least 10 minutes of warm-up activity, 15 to 20 minutes of large movement aerobics, and 10 minutes of cool-down. The warm-up and cool-down may incorporate range of motion and stretching activities. The rest of the time is usually devoted to muscular conditioning exercises.

Estimate your own target heart rate, as shown in chapter 3. Use this rate to monitor your exercise intensity. I often see people working at too high a level, because they are trying to keep up with the instructor and others around them. Remember, the instructor has been doing this routine for a while and is probably at a different fitness level than you are. If your limbs feel extremely heavy or experience a burning sensation, then you are working more anaerobically than aerobically. In other words, you are producing lactic acid because you are working at too high an intensity, and you need to decrease it. Use the talk test—you should not be breathing so heavily that you cannot respond to a simple question with a short phrase. On the other hand, if you are able to chat with someone, then you are not working hard enough. Again, refer to your target heart rate to assess your intensity.

You may need to modify some of the activities based on your limitations. For example, if you have arthritis in your shoulders, perform only the upper body activities that do not cause increased pain. If the instructor tells the class to do a rapid arm movement overhead, slow down the movement and do it at shoulder level. With lower-extremity arthritis, you may find that you cannot do some of the activities that require lots of rotation at the hip or extreme hip and knee flexion. Usually you can do such motions through a shorter range.

I recommend that you participate in an aerobics class no more than three days per week. The rate of overuse injuries increases with increased frequency of participation in traditional aerobics classes, so limiting the frequency to three days per week should also limit the potential for injury (Rothenberger, Chang, and Cable 1988; Janis 1990). On the alternate days, you can carry out a more traditional cardiovascular program, such as walking, or perhaps a different kind of activity. Not only will your chance of injury decrease, but the varied routine may also help you stick with your program.

As with walking or jogging, you need to make sure that you have good shoes. The types of shoes that are appropriate for jogging are not the same as the ones you need for an aerobics class. Your shoes should have more support in the forefoot as well as adequate cushioning. These shoes may be called “cross-trainers” or something similar. In chapter 7, I discuss what to look for in shoes in greater detail. Usually you do not need special clothing as long as what you wear is comfortable and absorbent.