| Aerobic exercise is any activity that elevates | | | | by aerobic exercise, be sure to check with your |
| your health rate and increases your oxygen | | | | doctor before beginning such a program. |
| consumption. In addition, this type of exercise is | | | | According to exercise physiologists, effective |
| one of the best ways of improving and | | | | aerobic exercise should increase the rate of your |
| maintaining good overall health. The heart, vascular | | | | pulse to roughly 70% to 80% of your predicted |
| system, lungs, muscles, joints, brain, and nervous | | | | maximum heart rate. Before beginning to |
| system all benefit. Regular aerobic exercise will | | | | exercise, you should calculate your target heart |
| help you to sleep better, have more energy, be | | | | rate. While exercising, you may want to monitor |
| more relaxed, and maintain a more positive | | | | your pulse to make sure you stay within the |
| outlook. In fact, aerobic exercise is considered an | | | | target zone. A simple guide to remember is that |
| excellent treatment for mild depression, anxiety, | | | | you should not exercise vigorously and breathe so |
| and stress-related problems. In addition to all of | | | | hard that you cannot carry on a conversation as |
| those benefits, regular aerobic exercise can | | | | you are exercising. |
| increase the levels of natural painkillers in the | | | | If you are taking certain medicines for high blood |
| nervous system, making it a good way to control | | | | pressure, your heart rate will not increase with |
| common types of pain. | | | | exertion as it normally would. In that case, you |
| When combined with a proper diet, aerobic | | | | should use your breathing as a guide. |
| exercise is the most effective method to control | | | | Although many jobs are physically demanding, |
| your weight. Many people would be happy to shed | | | | very few will provide you with an aerobic |
| a few pounds, but for people with pain, weight | | | | workout. Better options for aerobic exercise |
| loss may also mean an improvement in their | | | | include walking, jogging, swimming, bicycling, |
| condition. extra weight puts an extra stress on | | | | dancing, playing basketball or tennis, and engaging |
| spinal joints and vertebral disks. If you are | | | | in any other activity that gets your heart rate |
| overweight, aerobic exercise will not only help to | | | | into your target zone and maintains that rate for |
| relieve your pain but may also help to control | | | | the time you are exercising. |
| your weight. | | | | Some people do only one type of aerobic |
| Aerobic exercise is good for people with many | | | | exercise, but it is generally better to alternate |
| different health conditions, as long as they start | | | | among two or more activities. This so-called cross |
| at a reasonable level and build up gradually. | | | | training will make you physically fit for a wider |
| However, if you are over age 40 or have a | | | | variety of activities and keep you from getting |
| medical condition that you think might be affected | | | | bored. |