The benefits of step aerobics and is it possible to lose weight. Step aerobics for weight loss at home Basic exercises from step aerobics

Step aerobics is a special fitness complex, which includes more than 200 elements, as a rule, dance movements of the legs are used. All classes are held using the step platform. Knowing what step aerobics means for weight loss, you can conduct classes on your own at home.

The benefits of step aerobics

To date, step aerobics is one of the most popular fitness areas, which helps to easily correct the figure and improve your own health.

The basic element of this type of fitness is an energetic step, because it is considered the best load that helps train the heart. In the process of training, the work of the respiratory system improves, blood circulation normalizes. Thanks to regular exercises, the body's endurance increases, the muscular skeleton is perfectly strengthened, and existing fat deposits are effectively and quickly burned.

The main advantages of such training are:

normalization of pressure occurs;
nervous tension is eliminated;
the heart begins to work better;
prevention of diseases such as arthritis and osteoporosis, since the development of these ailments occurs as a result of a lack of movement;
much easier to tolerate stress;
classes can be easily carried out independently at home;
in a relatively short period of time, the figure is corrected;
aerobic exercise helps to tighten the stomach, buttocks, hips.

Classes are useful for:

varicose veins;
hypertension;
diseases of the kidneys, liver, joints of the legs;
angina pectoris, arrhythmias, problems in the work of the heart.

Training Rules

Knowing what step aerobics gives for health, in order to lose weight, you need to follow a few simple rules:

before the start of the lesson, about half an hour, you need to drink a glass of plain water;
during the ascent to the platform, only the legs should be involved, but not the back;
it is strictly forbidden to make sudden movements, as this can lead to serious injury;
you need to put your foot on the platform completely and do not stand on your toes;
it is important that during the entire workout the back remains as straight as possible;
you can not perform one movement for more than a minute.

If step aerobics is used for weight loss at home, you need to remember that in order to lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, you need to adjust your diet. The ideal option would be to reduce the number of calories consumed per day by 1/10 part.

In order for the result to be noticeable and fat deposits to begin to melt, you need to do step aerobics for at least 3 hours a week, otherwise there will be practically no effect from training.

Even with a feeling of fatigue, during training, you must constantly move. Professional instructors recommend using a special heart monitor for each lesson, as it makes it possible to independently monitor the intensity of each exercise.

Step aerobics for weight loss will help you get the perfect figure in a short time. However, it is worth considering the fact that such activities contribute to the appearance of a strong appetite and there is a risk of overeating. To avoid this, it is recommended to include as many nutritious, but low-calorie foods in your daily diet as possible.

To do step aerobics at home, you do not need any special physical training, since even a beginner can cope with the training, which is why this type of fitness is so popular. But it’s not enough just to know how step aerobics is useful for health and figure, as you need to learn how to correctly perform all the basic steps and use a special platform.

Video lesson

It is not necessary to buy a platform, as a simple plastic bench can be used instead. Detailed video tutorials will help you learn the basic steps and do it yourself at home:

Basic exercises

If you haven’t had to do step aerobics before, you need to start from the basic level so that the muscles get stronger. The first workout may seem very hard, but this is not a problem - each time the classes will be easier. It won't take too long to learn the basic movements.

The pace of the lesson must be adjusted independently, taking into account your own physical fitness. It is important that the beginning and end of each workout take place with a small warm-up, as the muscles should warm up well. Gradually, the load must be increased, while it is necessary to adjust the height of the step platform. Over time, it will be possible to use weights, which increases the effectiveness of classes.

Exercise #1

Easy step. This exercise is performed at the beginning of each session, because it helps to warm up the muscles of the legs well, since it is on them that the main load will be placed.

You need to stand up straight, straightening your back, slightly raise your chin up, arms bent at the elbows. Now we need to start stepping over in one place. The duration of the exercise is a few minutes.

Exercise #2

A special sports elastic band is put on the legs to pull them to each other. This helps to complicate the first exercise. It takes more effort to complete a step. It is important to take into account the fact that the lower the gum falls, the higher the load. The exercise is performed for at least 3 minutes. You can take incremental steps.

Exercise #3

You need to stand exactly in front of the bench, hands are located at the waist. 2 steps are taken to the bench, and the next to it. Now you need to jump to the floor and repeat the exercise again.

Step aerobics helps not only to lose weight, but also perfectly develops coordination, strengthens muscles and normalizes the work of various systems in the body. Classes will begin to benefit, subject to at least 3 workouts per week.

In the desire to lose weight, we usually go to a fitness club, where we think about which set of exercises to choose. Nowadays, there are many complexes aimed at raising the tone and improving the figure. One of these modern methods has become for weight loss.

What is step aerobics?

Step aerobics was invented by Gina Miller, an American athlete. After the injury, she found in the exercises on the steps the possibility of rehabilitation. Since then, a special platform has been used as a step, and the technique has gained popularity all over the world. The name "step" itself is translated as "step". This is step-based aerobics, namely, alternating steps to the music from the step to the floor and back. Stepping over takes place in the rhythm of the dance and is not difficult for beginners.

There are over 200 steps in step aerobics. Of course, we will not describe everything, we will only touch on the main ones.

How much step aerobics burns depends on the intensity of the workout and its duration. However, to the question - does step aerobics help to lose weight, you can confidently answer in the affirmative. Such trainings are carried out in the medium intensity mode. During training, all muscle groups are involved. Of course, the main focus is on the thighs and buttocks.

Step aerobics: benefits and harms

Due to the intensity of training, step aerobics has contraindications. Chief among them is high blood pressure. In the process of training, a large load is placed on the heart, and therefore, exacerbations of hypertension are possible.

Another contraindication is varicose veins. Aerobics itself involves mainly the legs, which is not very desirable for people suffering from edema, dilation and disease of the veins.

Like any physical activity, step aerobics has its pros and cons. However, there are still more advantages. The main advantage is the effect of step aerobics, which will be noticeable after a couple of workouts. After all, classes on the platform are more energetic and active than other types of aerobics. Among the undoubted advantages is also an increase in tone and mood. In addition, step training has a positive effect on the heart muscle, strengthening it. Of course, the impact of such aerobics on the body is individual, however, she has already found admirers among many women.

Step aerobics is one of the types of fitness, which is also called rhythmic gymnastics. Classes are held to dynamic music that helps maintain the rhythm of the workout. You will learn more about what it is and how to do it right below.

Step aerobics - what is it?

The founder of step aerobics is Jean Miller, a professional athlete and fitness instructor. Jean healed a once-injured leg joint by walking up and down stairs. After that, she developed this type of fitness.

A mandatory projectile for step aerobics is a platform. The set of exercises consists mainly of leg movement - lifting and descending from the platform. Step aerobics is running, jumping, stretching and more. All movements are quite simple, so you do not need to have any sports data to perform them. There are no age restrictions either.

The benefits of step aerobics

Step aerobics involves many functions of the body. First of all, they have a positive effect on the joints, especially the legs. This is due to the increased work of the knees during training, due to which the production of joint fluid is stimulated.

Aerobics has a special role in the cardiovascular system. The intensive nature of training stimulates:

circulation;
saturation of blood vessels with oxygen;
normalization of heart rate and blood pressure;
strengthening the muscles of the heart;
growth of the heart muscle.

Step aerobics will also relieve diseases of the musculoskeletal system that occur due to inactivity. For example, osteochondrosis.

The positive effect on the respiratory system is obvious - the blood supply to the lungs increases, in addition, their volume increases, which serves as a prevention of shortness of breath.

The result of training

What can step aerobics do? Firstly, especially valuable prevention from the above diseases. In addition, after a month of regular training, the result becomes noticeable:

weight is reduced - up to 500 calories are burned in one workout, which intensively burns fat;
the silhouette is corrected - without unnecessary muscle pumping, the body becomes slim and toned;
feeling better.

A little later, the development of plasticity and improvement in coordination are noted. The intense nature of training to rhythmic music has a positive effect on mood. Only half an hour of classes and a charge of cheerful mood is provided for the whole day.

Tap clothing

To make classes enjoyable, you need to start with the right clothes. It should be as comfortable as possible and not restrict movement. Loose short shorts or leggings and any comfortable T-shirt will do.

The choice of shoes should be approached even more seriously. Do not even consider the options to practice in Czech shoes or ballet flats. Even if you plan to workout at home, discard the option of exercising barefoot. It is comfortable and safe to practice in sneakers or sneakers with a high back for better foothold.

Platform for the lesson

You can buy a special step platform at the nearest sports store. When buying, pay attention to the following parameters:

Sustainability. The platform must not wobble or slide on the floor.
Coating. Prefer a platform with a rubber surface. Feet must not slip.
Height. For beginners, the optimal height of the platform will be 15-20 cm, and for professionals - 30 cm.

Keep in mind! The quality of the platform is a guarantee of your safety!

If the option to buy a platform is postponed, you can for the first time come up with it from improvised means. A stable box or a low bench may well replace a real sports equipment for a while.

In addition, you can build a structure from durable wooden boards. To do this, just find a wide board and attach it to homemade durable "legs", and the platform is ready!

Step aerobics program

Everyone who decides to do step aerobics must go through three levels of complex exercises. It is very important for the body to act in stages.

Here are the levels of step aerobics classes:

Ilevel- a set of exercises for beginners. Includes basic movements of moderate intensity.
IIlevel- at this stage, the movements become more complicated, the rhythm of the training accelerates.
IIIlevel- for professionals. Includes strength exercises and aerobics elements. The most effective stage, actively burning fat.

If you are new to fitness and decide to do step aerobics at home, be sure to start from the first level. If you already have experience in physical activity, consult with a fitness instructor if you can start right away from level II-III.

Rules for homework

In step aerobics, it is very important to follow certain rules. If not observed, there is a risk of injury, improper muscle pumping, etc. In the gym, this is monitored by an instructor. And for those who study at home, you will have to learn them and observe them yourself:

Training should begin with a warm-up - preparing muscles and joints for more complex loads. Usually the easiest step is in place, which progresses to higher knee raises and flows into platform work.
It is especially important to control movements in aerobics - the back should be straight, the stomach retracted, and the step should be springy.
You need to finish classes with a hitch - a gradual decrease in the pace of training, slowing down the step "in place", deep breaths and stretching of all muscles.

Important! Abruptly stopping during a workout negatively affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Home set of exercises with video

Starting step aerobics at home is not at all difficult. Turn on upbeat music. Start with a warm up:

Step in place, knees should be raised as high as possible. Continue for a few minutes.
Steps to the side - the step of the right should be wide, we substitute the left foot to the right and immediately step to the left. Pay attention to this movement for 2-3 minutes.

After warming up, go to the basic step exercises:

Step onto the platform with the right, then the left. We go down: first the right foot down, then the left. Now start on the left. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
Place your slightly bent leg on the platform. Push up to change legs. Give this movement 2-3 minutes.
With the right foot, support on the step, pull the left to the chest. Lower your left foot to the floor, then your right. Change legs - left foot to the step, right to the chest, etc.
Step-swing - the right leg is slightly bent at the knee on the platform, transfer your weight to it. Slightly bending your left leg, swing back, trying to reach the buttocks with your heel. We put the left down, lower the right foot from the platform. We change legs - left to step, right swing, etc.

Unless otherwise stated, each exercise should be performed 15 times to begin with. Gradually increase the amount.

Be sure to finish your workout with a hitch:

Step in place, gradually slowing down.
Deep breathing: inhale - hands up, exhale - hands down. Repeat several times.

Muscle stretch:

Stand up straight, lift one leg, bend it at the knee and press the heel to the buttocks. Lock and hold your leg in this position for a minute. Change legs.
Sit on the floor with your legs together, clasp them with your hands, trying not to bend your knees. Stay like that for a minute.

When you master the basic exercises, you can add a load with light dumbbells. Movements can be interleaved and interchanged.

This video contains a visual set of step aerobics exercises for beginners. A professional fitness instructor comments:

You can clearly see a full-fledged workout for beginners in the following video:

After the first stage, you can move on to the second and third, conducting functional training, as shown in the video:

Load time

Often, beginners, inspired by the results of others from step aerobics, overestimate their strength and immediately start with heavy loads. However, you should not expect a good result from this - everything ends with at least severe shortness of breath, pain in the muscles and joints. Therefore, a beginner should start with 15-20 minutes of training. You need to increase the time gradually, when the body adapts to new loads and fatigue noticeably decreases. You shouldn't exercise more than three times a week.

Contraindications

Step aerobics is the prevention of many diseases, but there are also contraindications. For example, if there have been knee injuries in the past, then such training will help strengthen the joints. But if the injury has occurred recently and there are still painful sensations, step aerobics is contraindicated.

In addition, the following ailments are contraindications:

phlebeurysm;
pathology of the lumbar spine;
high blood pressure (hypertension);
ailments of the cardiovascular system;
chronic diseases of the liver and kidneys.

Of course, it is better to consult a doctor before you start exercising, and at the slightest occurrence of symptoms of the above diseases, stop exercising.

If you don't get something from the first workout, don't worry. Try to slowly repeat the failed movement. Everything comes with time, the main thing is the desire to get a healthy sports figure and an emotional charge after each class.

Rapidly gained popularity around the world. To perform special exercises, you need a step platform, it is also a step deck or step board.

The basis of such aerobics is stepping movements, and with the help of a deck, an imitation of climbing stairs occurs. Osteoprosis and arthritis, problems with the respiratory, cardiovascular system and blood pressure can be a thing of the past thanks to a well-chosen set of exercises. And an increase in endurance, a positive effect on the nervous system and the whole body as a whole are guaranteed.

Correcting the shape of the legs, strengthening the muscles of the back of the thigh - constant exercises will allow you to be in great shape. Moreover, the step platform can also be used to develop the muscles of the arms and back, which will make the body more flexible.

The main criterion for choosing this simulator is its height. Moreover, the lower the level of training of the trainee, the lower the board itself should be, respectively. For a beginner, the optimal height is 10 cm, and for a professional, a high step platform is more suitable - 25 cm or more, which provides a significant load. Manufacturers of sports equipment have taken into account that a regularly trained beginner turns into a professional over time, and models with height adjustment are currently being produced. The standard is considered to be a width of 40 cm, and as for the length, put your feet shoulder-width apart - ideally, the board for classes should go beyond this distance by about 10-15 cm.

What else should you pay attention to when choosing? High-quality material, high strength and stability, a surface that provides proper “grip” with shoes are the most important properties that a good step platform should fully possess. Reebok, for example, produces certain models with a ribbed surface. A feature of some is the center of gravity, shifted down.

These measures allow you to ensure safety when doing step aerobics - tipping and slipping are practically excluded.

Multifunctional (combined) models are especially popular with professional athletes. The transforming step platform allows you to use it with a variety of power loads. There are several configuration options, you can turn the deck into a seat with a back - for this it is enough to raise part of the board at an angle.

In addition to conventional platforms, on the market of sports equipment you can also see balancing ones, the surface of which is an inflatable silicone hemisphere. With their help, you can not only strengthen the muscles of the legs, back and press, but also
develop a sense of balance. Expanders and

Steps, jumping on the platform and jumping over it, touching the toe of the free leg, lunges to the side, a step with a turn of the body by 90 degrees, push-ups, exercises for the abdominal muscles, performed lying on the back, and for the muscles of the inner thighs, lying on the side - You can perform a wide variety of exercises on the step platform. Unleash experiments with enjoying classes to your favorite music. However, remember that it is desirable to carry out the warm-up, the main block and the final part of step aerobics with constant monitoring of the pulse and general condition. Power loads should be appropriate for age and physical fitness, and in order to get the desired result, the pace and complexity of the exercises should be increased gradually.

Very often, for beginner athletes, choosing the optimal direction of physical activity becomes a real problem. Moreover, the modern world creates all the conditions for this. Various fitness rooms and sports complexes offer a wide range of training programs, including step aerobics. This direction has been popular among the fair sex for a long time. These classes include highly effective exercises with elements of dance and strength training, and therefore have a complex effect, contributing to the creation of an ideal athletic body. How to engage in such a system, and what results step aerobics promises for beginners, read in more detail below.

For those who seriously decide to do step aerobics, it will be useful to know that this sport is suitable for almost everyone who wants to start an active lifestyle. Moreover, step aerobics is considered a universal system that can be practiced in any conditions with a step platform.

Speaking about what step aerobics is, it is worth noting the originality of this direction. The fact is that this is a special training program that combines classic aerobic and strength exercises. And there are also elements of dances of various directions. But, unlike, step aerobics classes are held on special platforms (step platform).

This kind of physical activity, like any other sport, is very beneficial for the human body. During training:

the fibers of the entire muscular atlas of the body are strengthened;
rises;
the functioning of the nervous, respiratory, cardiovascular systems improves;
blood pressure normalizes;
the vestibular apparatus is trained;
shapes are corrected and body weight is reduced;
Increases the production of endorphins, which lifts your mood.

Thus, doing step aerobics, you can not only quickly lose weight, but at the same time improve your body, as well as recharge with positive energy. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about pumped muscles, because they help restore their tone, but not pump them up, like bodybuilders.

On top of that, such classes can be held with a minimum amount of props. The main attribute that is necessary for classes is a step platform. In addition, you may need dumbbells, a ball and a wide elastic band.

Basic training rules

Before you study step aerobics lessons, the videos with which are in our article, you should master the basic rules of direction. Firstly, for classes, choose comfortable shoes and clothes (they should not hinder movement and should not be too loose). During training, you need to drink water.

Having decided to do step aerobics, you should not overdo it and devote time to classes every day. For such classes, a day-to-day schedule is sufficient. By training at this pace, you can lose weight without much effort and recharge with positive energy and vivacity.

Step aerobics promises quite attractive results for those who want to lose weight. If you exercise regularly 3 times a week, eat right, you can lose one kilogram every 7 days. However, it should be ensured that the weight does not go away more rapidly. In addition to this, you can create an individual training program and. Examples of suitable sets of exercises with different levels of difficulty can be found below.

For those who decide to attend group classes, it is worth knowing that training will be effective if the group does not consist of more than 20 athletes. If, for any reason, you do not feel comfortable in a group, you can always change it, order an individual lesson or create an individual program for classes at home.

Doing aerobics on the step platform, do not forget to follow your own feelings. If any exercise causes discomfort or pain, you should skip it. It is especially important to monitor your feelings for those who have health problems.

Workout examples

Step aerobics can consist of different exercises that will teach you the basic directional movements step by step. For example, a video with an entry-level lesson will help beginners master the simplest movements that can be performed with a step platform.

By following all the recommendations of a step aerobics trainer, you will be able to notice a gradual decrease in body weight and an improvement in your figure. Training of such a plan at first will allow you to tone your muscles and notice positive trends in changes in a few weeks. Plus, regular practice will help prepare your body for a more intense workout regimen.

You can also learn basic steps and simple aerobic exercises on the step platform at home, guided by the following video. On it, the trainers clearly explain what and how to do during the classes.

For those who are interested in losing weight at home with the help of this direction, the program of special exercises in the video below is suitable. This complex is aimed precisely at stimulating the burning of subcutaneous fat, which will ensure uniform weight loss.

Contraindications

Starting to practice step aerobics, it is important to clarify whether there are any contraindications for practicing this sport. For such training, contraindications are:

diseases of the cardiovascular system;
diseases of the liver and kidneys of a chronic nature;
varicose veins on the legs;
diseases of the back (especially the lumbar spine);
pain in the joints of the lower extremities.

Since the main load during classes falls on the heart, people at risk should be approached with caution when performing exercises on a step platform. It also does not hurt to carefully deal with those who have a tendency to dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system. In this case, it is better to prefer arthrosis, hernias, etc. In any case, before signing up for training or starting step aerobics at home, it is advisable to contact your doctor for advice.

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