Everyone’s journey towards better health and well-being is completely unique with the combination of the exercises, diet plans and workout schedules. However, if you are looking for a systematic lifestyle change towards healthy living, aerobic exercises are something worth trying.
Going by the literal meaning, aerobic refers to 'with oxygen'. Aerobic exercise involves any type of rhythmic movement, done in the form of various activities, to make a person breathe faster and enhances the heartbeat for a prolonged period. The result is more oxygen delivery to the muscles of the body, which in the long run makes you healthy and helps you live longer.
Also known as cardiovascular activities (cardio) by fitness enthusiasts, aerobic exercises involve various physical activities aimed to specifically enhance your blood flow by elevating your heart rate and breathing. This, in turn, helps in keeping the vital organs such as heart, kidney, lungs, and circulatory system healthy. Unlike anaerobic exercises such as weightlifting, aerobic activities are done for a sustained period for best results.
The most common aerobic exercises include running, brisk walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling.
When it comes to the benefits of aerobic exercises, there are plenty of them. Let’s look into some of the most important ones:
Aerobic exercises have been proven to improve the health of the heart. Performing such exercises enhance your cardiovascular health by strengthening the heart and helping it pump blood throughout the body much more efficiently. The right combination of aerobic exercises systematically promotes the lifestyle changes and is highly effective in treating and preventing several heart ailments and cardiovascular diseases. If done properly, they can be the best defence against cholesterol, saturated fat, blood pressure, and other dangerous heart diseases.
As recommended by specialists, 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise done thrice a week can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels significantly.
High blood pressure is an acute condition that is generally caused by a weak heart since it needs to put extra efforts to pump the same amount of blood in the body as opposed to a stronger heart. The result is extra strain on the arteries' walls leading to high blood pressure. Since aerobic exercises are known to boost cardiovascular health, it puts less pressure on the heart to pump blood thus lowering the blood pressure
If you’re suffering from high blood sugar level, doing aerobic activities can be extremely effective in regulating the insulin levels and lowering the blood sugar level in the body.
People looking for some relief from severe asthma attack find aerobic activities extremely relaxing. It helps in reducing both the severity and frequency of asthma attacks. In the case of chronic asthma, however, it is better to do the specific aerobic activities under the guidance of a medical practitioner.
Aerobic exercises work wonders for people suffering from chronic pain. There are various aerobic activities such as swimming, jogging, and aqua aerobics which help in developing endurance and strengthen the muscles of the body as well. The other obvious benefit is the weight loss that happens because of aerobics which again helps in soothing the chronic pain.
There have been a number of studies showing that regular aerobic exercise helps you improve the quality of sleep and vitality. If you do 30-40 minutes of aerobic exercise such as walking, running or cycling on a regular basis, it can dramatically improve your quality of sleep at night.
There is no denying the fact that fats are an essential macronutrient required by the body for multiple functions such as blood circulation, the regulation of hormones, cell growth, and digestion. However, it is essential to be aware of the type of fat and their consumption for optimal health. Fat is generally stored throughout the body in fat cells which are known as adipocytes. These fat cells can increase and decrease in size depending on the amount of fat stored in the body. When the body stores more fat than it consumes, the fat cells expand causing weight gain.
Aerobic exercises are one of the most effective forms of exercises to get rid of the stubborn fat. Doing aerobic exercise regularly burns calories faster and initiates the process of systematic fat loss.
A weak immune system can be the cause of a host of diseases in the long run. Studies show that doing regular aerobic exercises leads to the production of immunoglobulin, a type of antibodies in the blood which leads to the strengthening of the immune system.
Aerobic exercises have proven to be highly effective in both, improving the cognitive functions as well as slowing down the loss of brain tissues due to ageing.
Aerobic exercises are known to improve mood as endorphins are released during these activities. This leads to a greater sense of well being and happier moods in general.
Excessive weight gain/obesity is a clinical condition that is largely defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more. The BMI index is calculated based on an individual’s height and weight proportions. However, there are a number of other factors that contribute to obesity like ethnicity, age, sex, and muscle mass.
Basically, when the intake of calories is much greater than how much of it is burnt while undertaking daily activities, for a long time, the result is weight gain. Some of the other reasons for weight gain and obesity are:
Obesity, in the long run, can seriously harm your health with a host of medical problems. Some of the most common risks/symptoms of obesity include:
Although obesity is a clinical condition, it can be brought under control by making systematic lifestyle changes such as doing some sort of aerobic activity on a daily basis including brisk walking, running, jogging, or swimming.
With increasingly hectic schedules and unhealthy lifestyle habits, one of the most common problems that a lot of people from all age groups struggle with is weight gain. All this extra fat gets commonly deposited around the belly region, arms, buttocks, neck, etc.
Belly fat is the most stubborn kind of fat that is highly difficult to get rid of. Not only does it make you uncomfortable with all your clothes feeling tighter but also harms your health in the long run. If you also struggle with the ever-increasing belly fat, here are some effective ways to lose it fast:
It is one of the most effective forms of exercises to reduce the stubborn belly fat. Aerobic activities help in burning calories faster that results in a reduction of belly fat. It is recommended to do aerobic exercise for at least 5 hours per week to see the desired results.
Soluble fibre is known to effectively reduce the belly fat by helping you feel full so that there is a natural intake of less food. Soluble fibre in the form of flaxseeds, legumes, sprouts, avocados, and blackberries absorb water to convert it to a gel that helps in slowing down the food as it passes through the digestive system.
Protein is one of the essential nutrients for controlling and shedding the belly fat fast. High protein intake in the form of fish, eggs, whey proteins, nuts, etc. enhances the secretion of insulin and growth hormones in the body leading to a decrease in appetite. Furthermore, a protein-rich diet boosts the metabolic rate and helps in retaining healthy muscle mass during the weight loss process.
In today’s hectic life, even the smallest trouble cause a lot of stress which affects the body negatively. Unnecessary stress triggers the adrenal glands to produce cortisol, also called the stress hormone leading to weight gain around the belly region. To reduce the belly fat fast, it is essential to engage in relaxing activities that relieve stress such as meditation, practising yoga, etc.
If you’re someone who prefers doing exercises at home, instead of hitting the gym, there are a number of aerobic activities that you can take up. These can be done easily without the help of any equipment. The only thumb rule of doing aerobic exercises at home is to warm up for a few minutes before you start with the activity. Let’s have a look at some of these that you can try at home:
Burpees involve activities such as squatting to the floor followed by jumping the feet to a plank position and standing up subsequently. It is an easy yet highly effective aerobic exercise that can burn up to 100 or more calories in less than 10 minutes.
It can be done in different variations such as adding push-ups, stepping the feet back, jumping up at the end, or using additional equipment such as sliding discs for a more rigorous workout.
As the name suggests, the activity involves mimicking a bear by squatting to the floor, walking the hands out to do a push-up followed by standing up. Easy to do at home, this aerobic exercise enhances the heart rate and helps you build strength and endurance.
This is another excellent aerobic workout that can be done at home by running the knees in and out from a push-up position. You can add a little variation to this by using sliding discs or alternately jumping each foot forward and back.
If you do not wish to jog outside yet want to reap the benefits of jogging, this is a simple and accessible aerobic activity to do at home. Jogging in a stationary position can be extremely effective in enhancing the heart rate and can be a great warm-up exercise as well for more rigorous cardio sessions.
In this activity, all you need to do is jump as high as you can from a squat position and land back into a squat that will both, burn the calories and raise your heart rate.
Aerobic exercises have several benefits for women including
Below are some of the best aerobic exercises for women:
Cycling is one of the most common and easy aerobic exercise for women. It is particularly beneficial for women suffering from arthritis or similar health problems.
Aerobic dancing is specifically designed for women looking to make a shift towards health and fitness. Approximately 20 minutes of continuous dancing to your favourite music can significantly elevate your breathing and heartbeat and relieve stress to a great level. Since dancing is one of the easiest choices available, it can be enjoyed by women of different age groups.
One of the simplest exercises to pick up, walking can be a great starting point for women wanting to opt out of regular exercises. A good pair of walking shoes and little patience allows you to enjoy this activity both indoors and outdoors.
Swimming is yet another option for women looking to start their fitness journey through aerobic exercises. You can enjoy a good workout without straining your knees, spine, back hips or spine.
One of the best aerobic workouts for women, using a staircase for everything can be great for the overall health of the body. Pushing the body up the stairs against gravity is an excellent cardiovascular activity that helps in burning calories as well as building strength and stamina.
There are several aerobic activities that men can do to get the best results. Some of these include:
Whether you want to start with stationary biking or outdoor biking, you reap similar benefits along with developing your skills. The key is to strike a balance or change the intensity of your workout to match your fitness level.
Swimming is a great choice for men looking for an aerobic workout. It is excellent for your heart and lungs as it allows the body to use oxygen in an efficient way. For beginners, it is recommended to start with 5 to 10 minutes of easy swimming session to warm up and slowly increasing the pace, speed, and variety of strokes.
In this activity, all you need to do is jump as high as you can from a squat position and land back into a squat that helps in both, burning the calories as well as raising the heart rate. This results in enhanced endurance and an improved cardiovascular system.
If you’re still wondering about how to make the choice of the right aerobic exercise for your individual fitness goal, here is a ready list of the type of aerobic exercises that you should know about:
An excellent aerobic activity for beginners, all you need to start with this is a good quality jump rope and sneakers. The activity involves turning the rope with handles while jumping over it repeatedly.
It is an excellent cardio exercise that can burn as many as 200 calories in less than 20 minutes. Additionally, these jump ropes are inexpensive and can be used by anyone as they require no special skills.
You can do jump rope in different variations such as jumping on a single foot, crossing the feet, alternating ropes, double turning the rope, etc.
Aerobic strength circuit involves alternate jumping done repeatedly for 30-60 seconds with various strength exercises such as lunges, squats, push-ups, etc. If you’re a beginner, it is advisable to do alternate jumping for 10-30 seconds with marching in place for 5-10 circuits followed by working up to longer jumping sessions. For people with experience, a cardio circuit with alternate jumping done repeatedly for 30-60 seconds along with other cardio exercises such as jogging, marching, jogging, jumping jacks, etc. is recommended.
One of the easiest aerobic activities to pick up, running or jogging has tremendous health benefits. Being a weight-bearing exercise, it helps in building strong bones, strengthening muscles, and results in improved cardiovascular fitness. Additionally, if you're looking to maintain a healthy weight by burning plenty of calories, taking up running or jogging helps in the long run.
Brisk walking is known to help you with common health conditions such as high blood pressure, asthma, high sugar levels, etc. by improving the blood circulation in the body.
Swimming for at least 20 minutes three times a week can significantly increase the stamina and physical endurance which can help you to perform better in all aspects of life. Swimming is considered a great workout for the heart and lungs as well. It is also considered as a great activity for weight loss which can again lead to a healthy lifestyle.
For someone looking to build stamina, cardio kickboxing is a perfect aerobic activity to start with. Involving a mix of aerobics, martial arts and boxing, a typical cardio kickboxing session requires you to do various strengthening exercises, jogging, push-ups coupled with a round of kicks and punches during workouts.
Being a high-impact activity, kickboxing helps in building strength and endurance, improving reflexes along with reducing stress levels.
Unlike popular notion, workouts do not necessarily have to be boring. For the dance lovers, Zumba is an excellent choice for an aerobic workout. Zumba sessions involve easy-to-follow dance steps such as rhythmic movements on the tune of offbeat music which help relax the body by relieving stress and also improves overall health.
Spin class is yet another excellent choice of aerobic activity for people looking to build strength. A regular 45 to 60 minutes session of spin class or cycle class can significantly improve cardiovascular endurance by spiking the heart rate up.
There are several other benefits of the spin class including muscle toning, better stamina, and improved heart health.
There is no denying the fact that a healthy and a fit body is the first prerequisite for leading a stress-free and successful life. Aerobic exercises are probably the best way to achieve this goal as they help in building dense bones for better strength & flexibility and improve cardiovascular health as well. The vast world of fitness allows you to indulge and participate in a number of activities to help you reach your aerobic exercise goals. The key is to make the choice wisely based on factors such as age, stamina, lifestyle, etc. and stick to the same.
For someone who is new to aerobic exercise, it is recommended to start with a few weeks of low to moderate intensity aerobic activities before moving to vigorous aerobic exercises. Remember to build up gradually from the activity level you are currently at and avoid progressing too rapidly for best results. These aerobic activities can offer an entire bouquet of benefits to improve your overall health and allow you to live a healthy life.
Disclaimer: The tips & exercises suggested are the personal opinions of the writer. Kindly consult a licensed physician/dietitian/practitioner before implementing the same.
