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III.1.7.2. The structure of a basic class:

I. Orientation before the class

II. Warm-up

III. Aerobics:

  1. preparation for the active part
  2. active aerobics
  3. cooling down of aerobics phase

IV. Strength training

V. cooling down at the end of the class, static stretching

Details:

I. Orientation before the class

  • duration: 2-3 minutes
  • introduction: ourselves, participants
  • advice on clothing
  • assessment of health condition and general disposition
  • preparing equipment

II. Warm-up

Goal: preparing the body, especially the cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, skeletal and nervous systems for intense work.

Objectives:

  • Gradual stimulation of circulation and respiratory systems (increasing the heart rate and blood flow in the muscles, improving their oxygen-intake and metabolism)   
  • Boosting the heat of the muscles and ligaments, increasing the flexibility, in order to avoid injuries
  • boosting the amount of synovial fluid that increases the working surface of the joints
  • increasing the contraction speed of the muscles
  • increasing the speed of carrying signals in the nerves
  • by promoting nerve-muscle connections, improving the coordination of movement, the attention and reflexes
  • psychical warm up
  • stress management

During the warm up, the body heat increases, it can reach a maximum of 38.5 degrees. This is not dangerous, in fact, it provides ideal conditions for certain biochemical reactions. (W. Mießner, 2005)

Warm-up duration: 8-10 minutes

Duration depends on the goal set for the particular class, the time of the day (in the mornings warm-up should be longer), the temperature outside and in the gym, the age and the experience level of the participants.

Music: 126-132 BPM, pulsing, engaging

Moves:

Moves of great amplitude, rhythmic, low impact and static stretch exercises. Stretching exercises should be combined with dynamic moves in order to keep the heart rate and body temperature high. A maximum of two stretch exercises should done successively. Particular muscle groups should be involved in the activity gradually, from the head down.

The composition and recommended order of a warm-up:

  1. breathing exercises standing
  2. rhythmic exercises with small amplitude, standing in one place, preparing the muscles of the neck and the trunk; arms working below the line of the heart
  3. static stretch: the muscles of the neck, the shoulder, the trunk, the lower part of the back
  4. rhythmic exercises with great amplitude, standing in on place
  5. static stretching of the muscles of the right leg
  6. rhythmic exercises with small amplitude, moving in one dimension: forward-backward and/or sideways; arms working above the shoulders
  7. complex stretching of the left leg
  8. rhythmic exercises with small amplitude in two dimensions, i.e. combining forward-backward, left-right movements with the all-round work of the arms
  9. preparing the joint of the ankle

(Tihanyiné, 1995)

III. Aerobics phase

Goal: training the physical fitness of the body, that is, improving its reactions to the exertion of the cardiovascular system.

Duration: 23-28 minutes; permanent, intense workout

Music: 132-155 BPM

Components:

a) Preparation for the active aerobics phase:

Objective: increasing the heart rate through greater intensity. Simple low-impact exercises executed with low, then high intensity. It can develop the muscles of the arms and the chest.

Duration: 3-4 minutes

b) active aerobic phase:

Objective: training the heart and the cardiovascular system, improving the coordination of movement. The training consists of gradually intensifying, low than high impact exercises. It is the middle of the class, so it is recommended to measure the heart rate. The aim is to reach and to keep the working rate. (See 1.8)

Duration: ca. 15-18 minutes

c) cooling down of the active phase

Objective: decreasing the heart rate.

Duration: ca. 3-5 minutes

IV. Strength-training phase

Goal: improving the strength and endurance (the ability to make prolonged effort) of the main groups of muscles; improving the posture with standing and ground based exercises, both of which can be done using special equipment: e.g. hand and foot weights, resistance band, step platform etc.

Duration: ca. 20 minutes

Principles:

  • Resistance should be increased gradually, because the body is likely to get used to the workload, which will no longer be a stimulus for the body. 
  • It is important to execute the exercises symmetrically.
  • Dynamic and static exercises should be done alternately.
  • Both agonist and antagonist muscles should be trained.
  • The trained muscle should be stretched properly, in a static way, before starting to train another group of muscles.
  • Usually, there is not enough time to train all the muscle groups. About 3-4 groups of muscles can be trained effectively at once, so it is best to rotate them.

V. Cooling down at the end of a class

Goal: calming the body down by further decreasing the heart rate; stretching and relaxing the tensions in the strained muscles. This latter one maintains and improves the agility of the joints and muscles. Static stretching exercises should be done to slow, relaxing music.

Duration: 5-6 minutes.