Aerobic Exercise For Your Heart

Aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and lungs, and cuts your risk for dangerous health conditions. Which exercises can be considered aerobic? Some examples include running, jogging, biking, walking, swimming, rope jumping, dancing, cardio kickboxing, stair climbing, horse riding, rowing, etc.

Any exercise which requires a lot of oxygen when we do them, and simultaneously increases the oxygen in our body are considered aerobic exercises. An exercise is only considered ‘aerobic’ if it is kept at a constant pace i.e. for more than 2-3 minutes. Your heart becomes stronger and works more efficiently with regular aerobic exercise. A sedentary lifestyle is a major risk factor for heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least three days a week for maintaining optimum health.

According to the CDC The Benefits of Physical Activity can help:

• Control your weight
• Reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease
• Reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
• Reduce your risk of some cancers
• Strengthen your bones and muscles
• Improve your mental health and mood
• Improve your ability to do daily activities and prevent falls, if you're an older adult
• Increase your chances of living longer

If you're not sure about becoming active or boosting your level of physical activity because you're afraid of getting hurt, the good news is that moderate-intensity aerobic activity, like brisk walking, is generally safe for most people.

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