Aerobic exercise is any type of cardiovascular conditioning, or “cardio.

” It can include activities

like brisk walking, swimming, running, or cycling.

By definition, aerobic exercise means “with oxygen.” Your breathing and heart rate will increase
during aerobic activities. Aerobic exercise helps keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system
healthy.

Aerobic activity is also known as cardio

or endurance activity.

This improved the efficiency of aerobic

energy production and cardio respiratory

endurance.
Increase breathing and heart rate

Aerobic exercise differs from anaerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercises, such as weightlifting or
sprinting, involve quick bursts of energy. They’re performed at maximum effort for a short time.
This is unlike aerobic exercises. You perform aerobic exercises for a sustained period of time.

Cardiovascular exercises can be done at home. There are many you can do with little to no
equipment, too. Always warm up for 5 to 10 minutes before starting any exercise.

AT HOME AEROBICS

1. Jump rope

Equipment: gym shoes (sneakers), jump rope

Benefits: Jumping rope helps develop better body awareness, hand-foot coordination, and
agility.

Safety: Your jump rope should be adjusted for your height. Stand with both feet on the middle of
the rope and extend the handles to your armpits. That’s the height you’re going for. If it’s too
long, cut or tie it to avoid tripping on the rope.

Duration and frequency: 15 to 25 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week

Following a jump rope circuit is a great indoor or outdoor activity, though you’ll want to make
sure you have plenty of space. Your circuit routine should take 15 to 25 minutes to complete.

If you’re a beginner:

1. Start by jogging forward as you swing the jump rope over your head and under your feet.
Do this move for 15 seconds.
2. Next, reverse your direction and jog backward as you continue to swing the jump rope.
Do this move for 15 seconds.
3. Finish your set by doing a hopscotch jump for 15 seconds. To do this move, jump rope in
place, and as you jump, alternate between jumping your feet out to the sides and then
back to the center, similar to how you’d move them while doing jumping jacks. Do this
move for 15 seconds.
4. Rest for 15 seconds between sets.
5. Repeat 18 times.

Aerobic strength circuit

Equipment: gym shoes (sneakers), sturdy chair or couch for dips

Benefits: This exercise increases heart and cardiovascular health, builds strength, and tones
major muscle groups.

Safety: Focus on proper form with each exercise to avoid injury. Keep your heart rate at a
moderate level throughout. You should be able to carry on a brief conversation during this
exercise.

Duration and frequency: 15 to 25 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week

This aerobic circuit is designed to get your heart rate up. Perform the following strength
exercises for 1 minute:

 squats
 lunges
 pushups
 triceps dips
 torso twist
Running

Equipment: running shoes

Benefits: Running is one of the most effective forms of aerobic exercise. It can improve heart
health, burn fat and calories, and lift your mood, just to name a few.

Safety concerns: Choose well-lit, populated running routes. Let someone know where you’ll be.

Duration and frequency: 20 to 30 minutes, 2 to 3 times per week

If you’re a beginner, 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.\

Walking

Equipment: gym shoes (sneakers)

Benefits: Walking daily can reduce your riskTrusted Source of heart disease, obesity, diabetes,
high blood pressure, and depression.

Safety: Walk in well-lit and populated areas. Choose shoes that offer good ankle support to
reduce your risk for injury.

Duration and frequency: 150 minutes per week, or 30 minutes 5 days a week

If walking is your main form of exercise, aim to get 150 minutes per week. This can be broken
down into 30 minutes of walking 5 days a week. Or, walk briskly for 10 minutes at a time, 3
times each day.

You can also use a fitness tracker to keep tabs on how many steps you take each day. If your
goal is to walk 10,000 steps a day, start with your base (current amount you walk) and slowly up
your daily step count. You can do this by increasing your daily steps by an extra 500 to 1,000
steps a day every 1 to 2 weeks.

So, once you’ve identified your base, add an extra 500 to 1,000 steps. Then, 1 to 2 weeks later,
increase your daily step count by an additional 500 to 1,000 steps.
Aerobic gym exercises

Your local gym is a great place to get in some aerobic exercise. They probably have equipment
like treadmills, stationary bikes, and elliptical machines. There may be a pool for you to swim
laps in, too.

If you aren’t sure how to use a type of exercise equipment, always ask a professional or trainer
for assistance.

5. Swimming

Equipment: pool, swimsuit, goggles (optional)

Benefits: Swimming is a low impact exercise, so it’s good for people prone to or recovering
from an injury or living with limited mobility. It can help you tone your muscles and build
strength and endurance.

Safety: Avoid swimming alone and, if possible, choose a pool with a lifeguard on duty. If you’re
new to swimming, begin by enrolling in swim lessons.

Duration and frequency: 10 to 30 minutes, 2 to 5 times a week. Add 5 minutes to your swim
time each week to increase your duration.

If your gym has a pool, try swimming as aerobic exercise. It’s a low impact workout, so it’s a
good choice if you’re prone to injury. You’re also increasing your heart rate, toning your
muscles, and building strength and endurance — all without adding additional strain to your
body.

You can start by swimming laps using one stroke, such as freestyle. As you swim more, add
additional strokes. For example, you could do 1 to 4 laps of freestyle followed by 1 to 4 laps of
breaststroke or backstroke.

If you get tired, rest on the side of the pool between laps. Always follow the safety instructions
and guidelines of the pool where you swim.

6. Stationary bike
Equipment: stationary bike

Benefits: This low impact exercise can help develop leg strength and cardiovascular endurance.

Safety: Ask a trainer at the gym for help adjusting the bike so that the seat is the correct height.
This will help reduce your risk of injury or falling off the bike.

If biking at home, a general rule is to adjust the bike seat height to maintain a 5- to 10-degree
bend (slight bend) in your knee before reaching full extension. Doing so reduces compression on
your knee joint. It’s not recommended to fully extend your knee while peddling on a stationary
bike.

Duration and frequency: 35 to 45 minutes, 3 times per week

Riding a stationary bike is another option for low impact cardio. Stationary bikes are a good
cardiovascular workout, help you develop leg strength, and are easy to use. Many gyms and
workout studios offer cycling classes, which use stationary bikes. But you can still benefit from a
stationary bike workout without taking a class.

After stretching and warming up by cycling at an easy rhythm for 5 to 10 minutes, increase your
pace to 75 to 80 rotations per minute (RPM) and aim for 20 to 30 minutes of steady cycling.
Cool down for 5 minutes. Stretch to finish.

Keep enough resistance on the bike to feel like you’re pushing the pedals instead of feeling like
the pedals are pushing your feet. Increase the resistance for a more challenging workout.

8. Cardio kickboxing

Equipment: gym shoes (sneakers)

Benefits: Kickboxing is a high impact exercise that builds strength and endurance. It may also
reduce stress and improve your reflexes.

Safety: Drink plenty of water throughout the class. Take a break if you feel dizzy.

Duration and frequency: 60 minutes, 1 to 3 times per week

Cardio kickboxing is a mix of martial arts, boxing, and aerobics. Your class may start with a
warmup of jogging, jumping jacks, or strengthening exercises, such as pushups. Then expect a
series of punches, kicks, and hand strikes for the main workout.
There may be core or strengthening exercises at the end. Always finish your workout with a cool
down and stretch.

9. Zumba

Equipment: gym shoes (sneakers)

Benefits: Zumba is beneficial for heart health, improves coordination, tones your entire body,
and may help relieve stress.

Safety: Drink lots of water during the class. Take a break if you feel tired or dizzy. You may
want to wear shoes that provide good ankle support if you’re prone to ankle injuries.

Duration and frequency: 60 minutes, 1 to 3 times per week

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.