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Health & Beauty

Why do you work out? If you're like most people, you have several reasons that might include improved health, reduced weight, prevention of disease, or better muscle tone. Regardless of the reason, most people would like to get the maximum efficiency from their workouts within the shortest amount of time. Does that sound like you? Yeah, me, too!

Let me explain something that scientists and sports medicine professionals have discovered over the last few years. The principle has been around since the early '20s, but hasn't really been taken seriously until now. One key ingredient that can tremendously improve the results of your workout is. oxygen! No, I'm not kidding.

I know, it sounds like a joke, but it's not. Let me give you some details about why oxygen plays such an important role in our exercise routines.

To increase the way your body burns fat and strengthens muscle, there must be an increase in your aerobic metabolism rate. Aerobic metabolism is the creation of energy through the combustion of carbohydrates, fats, and oxygen. When you boost your aerobic metabolism, you experience less muscle soreness after exercise, and your body is forced to dig deep down into its stored sugar and fat in order to get what it needs to keep up.

Since 1925, Joseph Pilates (creator of the famed Pilates exercise programs) has sung the praises of focused breathing and increased oxygen during exercise. From there, sports trainers (primarily cyclists) began to notice the importance of improving oxygen levels during exercise. While the rest of us have been slow to follow their lead, the vast majority of fitness instructors will now attest to the vital role high levels of oxygen play during physical activity.

But why? Yes, we need oxygen to live. But why is it that increasing the levels of oxygen during workouts improves the results so dramatically?

Oxygen is needed by the body to create enough energy to burn fat and strengthen muscles. Oxygen is the factor that actually causes the physical reaction using the carbs and fats taken in by your body. (See! You DO need carbs!) In a very basic manner, the more oxygen you have, the more fat your body can burn and the more "umph" your muscles get.

In fact, the fitness experts at Peak Performance (http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0427.htm) have this to say, "The bottom line is that breathing in more oxygen during workouts delivers more oxygen to your muscles and permits you to work at higher intensities. These higher intensities then produce fairly dramatic improvements in your overall fitness."

When you incorporate cardiovascular exercise into your workout routine, you get several benefits all of which are releated to higher oxygen levels. Some include: improved heart function, increased muscle strength, the ability to burn more fat, improved cell function, and many more. If you haven't begun to "go cardio" yet, make plans to investigate how vitally important this type of exercise is to your body. You'll be glad you did!