You might be familiar with aerobic and anaerobic terms. Aerobic exercises are those that provide cardiovascular conditioning. It can be of any type, such as:
- Brisk walking
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Running
Aerobic exercises keep your heart, lungs, and cardiovascular system healthy. Generally, aerobic exercises increase the breathing and heart rate. The American Heart Association recommends a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio exercise per week.
If you want to learn more about aerobic exercises, read on. In this article, we will enlist some top aerobic exercises.
Keep scrolling!
What Are Aerobic Exercises?
Aerobic or cardio exercises get your heart pumping. Moreover, it keeps your blood circulation high to reach your all body.
The word aerobic means oxygen, meaning that your breathing determines the amount of oxygen that gets to your muscles. Oxygen in your muscles helps them move, giving you the strength to exercise. Your body creates this energy by using stored carbs, proteins, and fats in combination with oxygen.
You can perform aerobic exercises as per your body’s needs. In general, you can sustain continuous cardio and muscular activity for at least 30 minutes.
Benefits of Aerobic Exercises
As per experts’ recommendations, anyone can add cardio exercises to their workout routine. So, you can do more cardio to adapt yourself and get extra benefits.
Here are some benefits that a cardio workout can give:
- Burning fat – a high weight loss
- Decrease in your resting heart rate
- Better heart and lung fitness
- Increase in strength and stamina
- Better mood
- Less anxiety and stress
- Increase in good cholesterol
- Reduce the risk of several diseases
Additionally, you can increase your life expectancy through cardio exercises!
Top Aerobic Exercises
You can perform cardiovascular exercises at home and at the gym. Some exercises require equipment, while other does not.
Nevertheless, warm up your body & start exercising!
Are you ready to hit the ground with your favorite joggers? You might have seen people going for a morning walk. Why do they prefer a morning walk to sleep? Daily walking can reduce the risk of:
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Depression
To incorporate walking into your fitness routine, choose shoes that support your ankles. If walking is the only exercise you perform, walk for 150 minutes a week. You can break these 150 minutes into 7 days a week. Moreover, you can set a goal to walk 10,000 steps a day.
Also, Read – 10 Ultimate Ab Exercises At Home
Another exercise that only requires a pair of comfortable shoes is running. Running or jogging is one of the most effective forms of aerobic exercise that improve:
- Heart rate
- Burn fats
- Lift your mood
Whether you are a beginner or a pro, running can help you a lot. Choose a well-lit area for running to avoid injuries. You can run for 20 to 30 minutes twice a week. Your pace should be conversational during the run. You can alternate between 5 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking to start. To stay injury-free, always stretch after your run.
One of the most effective and traditional aerobic exercises is a jump rope. You only need a pair of gym shoes and a jump rope to perform this exercise. Typically, jump rope builds:
- hand-foot coordination
- body awareness
- agility
You might be thinking about the duration of the jump rope exercise. You can perform 15-25 minutes twice or thrice a week. If you are a beginner, you can rest for 30 seconds after each jump rope.
Also, Read – 5 Great Abs Workouts for women
Another best way to perform a full-body workout is swimming. It is best to perform this low-impact exercise if you have a swimming pool in your home. Also, there is no need to carry any equipment except a swimsuit.
Here is how this low-impact exercise is beneficial:
- Tone your muscles
- Build strength
- Boost endurance
Whether you are a pro or an amateur, choose a pool with a lifeguard on duty. Swim for 5 minutes daily and then increase your duration. It is a perfect workout for you if you are prone to injury. Keep resting between different time laps during your swimming journey.
Pick your goggles and jump into the pool!
You might have encountered a stationary bike in your gym. If you want to build leg strength, adjust the bike seat and ride on it. You can take the help of a trainer to adjust the bike seat. It will help you reduce the risk of injuries.
Here are some advantages of the stationary bike ride:
- Boosts cardio fitness
- Can help with weight loss
- Burns body fat
- Provides a low-impact workout
- Strengthens legs and lower body muscles
Riding a stationary bike is one of the effective aerobic exercises. You can perform this cardiovascular workout for 30 minutes three times a week.
Fitness enthusiast! Pick your gym shoes again to perform kickboxing. It is a high-impact exercise that builds:
- Strength
- Endurance
- Reduce stress
- Improve your flexors
In general, it is a mixture of martial arts, boxing, and aerobics. You can start kickboxing after running or walking. Kickboxing will be a strengthening exercise. Keep drinking water at regular intervals during kickboxing.
You might be wondering about aerobic exercises that improve heart health.
Zumba is beneficial for:
- Heart health
- Improve coordination
- Tones your entire body
- Help relieve stress
If you like to dance, zumba is a fun choice for an aerobic workout. After warming up, your instructor will instruct the class through easy-to-follow dance moves set to upbeat music. You’ll finish with a cool down and stretch.
Shoes are required. Drink plenty of water throughout the class. You can always take a break and rejoin if you get tired.
Aerobic Exercises – The Takeaway
If you have decided to start aerobic exercises, pick an exercise that appeals to you. Doing something you like helps you stick to your fitness routine.
As a beginner, aim to get five to 10 minutes of continuous activity. A decent plan to follow includes five minutes of warming up, five to 10 minutes of aerobic activity, and five minutes of cooling down and stretching. Repeat this routine a few times during your first week.
