Regular exercise is an important component in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but often it can seem like just another item on an already full to-do list. The good news is that many aerobic activities not only have been shown to significantly improve overall health, but they can also be fun, performed outside of a gym, and include friends.

What is aerobic exercise?

The term “aerobic exercise”technically refers to exercise “with air.”In other words, aerobic activities enable the body to use the energy it receives from breathing in order to fuel activity. This type of exercise includes many enjoyable activities such as:

• Biking
• Swimming
• Rollerblading
• Running
• Skiing
• Brisk walking
• Dancing
• Hiking

You must consider many factors when deciding which of the above activities best suits your tastes and lifestyle. Regardless of which one you choose, all of them can lead to significant benefits to health and well-being.

Benefits to aerobic exercise

Regular participation in any of the above exercises, which is typically defined as 30 to 60 minutes several times a week, can do a number of things for your physical health, not to mention that a good exercise program can help you deal with stress and can be an excellent social outlet. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, here are just a few of the things regular aerobic exercise can do for you:

• Improve cardiovascular health
• Improve cholesterol levels
• Increase endurance
• Improve blood pressure
• Improve your mood
• Keep your mind sharp
• Help maintain a healthy weight or aid healthy weight loss

In addition to the above, several recent studies have also discovered that regular participation in aerobic exercise can also help reduce risks for debilitating diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, while other studies have found that engaging in aerobic activities decreases muscle loss in the elderly.

Which activity is for you?

When deciding which aerobic exercises are best for your lifestyle, it is important to take into consideration your current physical health and abilities. For example, some aerobic exercises are considered lower impact, such as swimming and cycling; whereas running and jogging are higher impact. Although lower-impact exercises typically burn calories at a slower rate, they put less strain on joints and often enable the body to exercise for a longer amount of time. Therefore, if you injured your joints in the past, you may want to consider lower-impact activities like swimming.

As with any successful exercise plan, you should also make sure that you enjoy your chosen activities. It is much easier to maintain a regular exercise schedule if you’e having fun. Choosing activities that you can do with friends is also a great way to stick to your plan.

Always consult a physician before starting any exercise routine.

References

• Kelly, J. “esearch Shows Aerobic Exercise Helps Maintain Muscle in Elderly.”University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Article Available at: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-05/uotm-rsa053007.php. Accessed on June 3, 2007.
• Kemmler, W.; Lauber, D.; Weineck, J.; Hensen, J.; Kalender, W.; Klaus, E. “enefits of 2 Years of Intense Exercise on Bone Density, Physical Fitness, and Blood Lipids in Early Postmenopausal Osteopenic Women: Results of the Erlangen Fitness Osteoporosis Prevention Study (EFOPS).”Archives of Internal Medicine (May 2004) 164: 1084–1091.
• Kravitz, L, Ph.D., and C. A. Vella, M.S. “nergy Expenditure in Different Modes of Exercise.”American College of Sports Medicine Journal (2002). Available at: http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search§ion=20026&template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentFileID=288. Accessed on: June 3, 2007.
• Kushi, L. H.; Byers, T.; Doyle, C.; Bandera, E.V.; McCullough, M.; Gansler, T.; Andrews, K.S.; Thun, M.J.. “merican Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention: Reducing the Risk of Cancer With Healthy Food Choices and Physical Activity.”CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (2006) 56: 254–281