By definition “aerobic” means “with oxygen.” Combine that with exercise – or constant and fluid movements that work your body – and you’ve got a winning combination that will help keep you more physically fit with a host of benefits to your body and life.
With aerobic exercise, you increase the amount of oxygen flowing through your body. Your heart pumps faster, you breathe more, your blood gets flowing. And doing some sort of aerobic activity a minimum of three times a week for 20 minutes can have a very positive effect on your health. Remember, you’ll need a five minute warm up and five minute cool down for a total of 30 minutes each time you exercise.
When you engage your body in aerobic activity, you burn fat. As your heart starts pumping faster and you begin to work, your body will eventually tap into your fat to use as fuel. If you’re eating a healthy diet, low in fats and low in processed carbohydrates, you’ll actually see your body start to burn away fat and trim up faster than if you’re not.
As part of reducing fat and becoming healthier with aerobic exercise, research seems to indicate that you’ll be able to better fight off other diseases like heart disease, diabetes and even cancer. And because aerobic exercise stimulates the immune system, you’ll definitely be able to better fight off viral infections too.
When you exercise, your brain releases chemicals called endorphins. These chemicals are mood elevators, so doing some form of exercise a few times a week will help improve your mood too. As a result, your body will also be able to handle stress better, and in turn this can lead to a reduction in feeling stressed, anxiety and depression.
If that isn’t enough, studies show that people who do some sort of aerobic activity a few times a week tend to live longer. So, add some exercise to your week and you could literally lead a longer and happier life.
To make sure you’re getting a good aerobic workout, you’ll want your heart rate to be at 70-80% of your target heart rate. To find your target heart rate, just subtract your age from 220 for men and 226 for women. For example a 30 year old man would who is trying to get some aerobic exercise would want to keep his heart rate at 75% of 190 – or about 143 beats per minute.
Types of aerobic exercises you can do include jogging, biking, swimming, or any number of cardio machines at your gym. Just be sure to monitor your heart rate to stay with your aerobic zone – 70-80% of your target heart rate.