Aerobic Training as the Way One Can Burn Fat - Essay Example

Much has been written in popular magazines about aerobic training and how it is the only way one can burn fat. Explain this belief, evaluate it and tell why it may or may not be appropriate. Are there other ways to burn fat? If so, what are some of them? Aerobic exercise, which can take the form of jogging, cycling, etc is one of the most effective ways of burning fat in the body. So there is veracity to the hype surrounding this form of exercise, in terms of its ability to tone down body fat.

Physiotherapists have identified a generic formula for determining the requisite heart rate at which fat burning happens. Usually, the optimal heart rate to be maintained during aerobic exercise is determined by the formula 220 minus age, multiplied by 0.75. Though this is an approximate calculation, it has consistently proven that maintaining heart rate at this level will aid the fat burning process. But in recent years, physiotherapists have discovered that aerobic exercises might not work for all individuals.

It is identified that regular aerobic workouts plateaus after two months, beyond which it is not an effective way of burning fat. Aerobic training is also said to increase oxidative and adrenal stress making the individual prone to ageing and even gaining weight. And aerobic training can actually be counterproductive for individuals who are highly stressed.