Advanced Aerobics

Aerobic Fitness Course

Advanced aerobics is a high-energy work out set to fast paced music.  It's a fun and energetic way to exercise in a group setting which is instructor lead.  

Being an aerobics instructor takes physical energy and the ability to communicate  with others supporting them throughout the class, ensuring they are safe and taking part in exercises which are effective and beneficial! 

Learn the skills to be an aerobics instructor from home.  

Lesson Structure

There are 6 lessons in this course:

1. Organising a Class
   • Understanding differences in anaerobic and aerobic energy supply
   • The importance of proper breathing
   • Different training responses
   • Movements in aerobics
   • Methods of teaching
   • Music and sound systems
2. Safety and Efficiency
   • What is safety
   • Incorrect exercises
   • Safety in other aerobic activities
   • First aid considerations
   • Oxygen equipment
   • Identifying hazards
   • Legal liability
   • Negligence
   • How to provide protection for yourself
   • Pre-screnning of clients and medical clearance
   • Insurance
3. Managing the Workload
   • Fitness and heart rates
   • Fitness tests and assessment
   • What do we test
   • What can we measure
   • Body weight and percentage fat
   • Hydrostatic - underwater weighing
   • Lung capacity
   • Cardiovascular scoring
   • Field evaluation of cardiorespiratory endurance
   • 12 Minute fitness test
   • Designing fitness tests
   • Test conditions and test combinations
4. Teaching
   • Managing exercise programs
   • Devising sets of relevant exercises
   • Types of classes
   • Classes for different types of people
   • Motivational factors
   • Dealing with complaints
5. Class Design
   • Fitness/Aerobics Class Design
   • Recommended Practices
   • Writing a exercise program
   • A typical aerobics class - Introduction, warm up, main exercises and recovery.
   • Muscle conditioning during the class
   • Concluding the exercise program
   • Exercises for specific problems
6. Leadership and Participation
   • Leadership concepts
   • Leadership responsibilities
   • Leadership communication
   • Common communication barriers
   • Understanding body language
   • Desirable leadership characteristics

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

• Plan and organise effective cohesive exercises to use with music and for progressive classes
• Devise sets of relevant exercises into class programs
• Relate sequences of exercises to music tracks
• Purchase a tape and map out various songs using correct music mapping
• Learn the Add On, Link and Linear Progression methods of teaching aerobics
• Gain a knowledge of music licensing
• Recognise and observe all guidelines for safety and efficiency of movement
• Design exercise to music classes, using safe exercise practices and movement
• Understand equipment considerations, maintenance and usage
• Understand the importance of ventilation, temperature, floor surface, hygiene, correct clothing and footwear
• Determine different class intensity and duration
• Measure the workload during a class, and use training components to design classes that are well graded
• Compose correct techniques in exercising and teach by example and verbal instruction
• Understand recommended practises - layering, visual preview, choreography and phrasing
• Identify the different components of a class
• Explain how to cater for different levels of fitness and special populations
• Lead an exercise to music class, using appropriate teaching principles
• Participate in a variety of exercise to music classes, moving in a controlled and efficient manner
• Identify common injuries, treatment and prevention, for participants in aerobics classes..

Aerobic exercises are so important in improving general health.  Some advantages of an aerobic work out are listed below: 

Strengthening of heart and lungs in turn leads to improved circulation and even increased immunity!

By burning calories, reduce body fat and improve the overall shape of your body by toning the mucles!

Increase core body strength and reduce the likehood of back pain and other common ailments (injuries) linked with weak muscles!

Get a natural high by releasing 'happy' hormones and endorphins in to the blood stream!  

How Should You Breathe During Exercise?

During aerobic exercise, we need to optimise our oxygen supply; and to do this, two things are important:

• The way you breathe
• The quality of the air which you breathe in

By optimising the oxygen supply, the following can be achieved:

• Lung elasticity increases
• Blood volume increases
• Heart performance improves
• Circulation of blood becomes better
• Cell metabolism improves, hence muscle performance is better and waste products are removed more efficiently from the cells.
• The likelihood of hyperventilation during exercise is lower.

Practical application of Breathing

Breathing techniques may be incorporated into the warm up phase, prior to aerobic exercise. Raising oxygen levels in the body in preparation for exercise to follow will aid muscle activity and endurance. Breathing exercises after a fitness routine can also aid in refreshing the body and easing the heart beat down to a normal rate.

The Way You Breathe

Consider how you breathe and its impact on your health. Is it deep or shallow? Deep breathing is considered better for overall health. Is your breathing slow or fast? Slow breathing is important when relaxed. Do you breathe through the nose or mouth? Breathing through the nose utilises the natural filtration system humans have in the nasal passage.

The Quality of the Air You Breathe

Consider the purity of the air you breath and how this may affect health:

• Air Conditioning -These units can spread air-borne sicknesses
• Pollen, dust, allergens - Allergies to these and other items may impede breathing in many people
• Value of exercise around vegetation, where oxygen levels are higher. Fresh air is important to all, especially those in activities where oxygen is crucial
• High altitude training - how much oxygen is in the air. Although used as a pre-season training method, the oxygen level is lower as altitude increases