Aerobic Exercise

7 Effective Exercises Slideshow

• Aerobic Exercise Overview
• Difference Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
• Biologic Basis of Aerobic Exercise
• Calculating Your Target Heart Rate
• Benefits of Regular Aerobic Exercise
• How Much Do I Need to Do to Gain All These Benefits?
• Getting Started
• Other Aerobic Options
• Warming Up
• Cooling Down
• Stretching
• Safety
• Setting a Plan
• A Final Word
• Calories Burned by Aerobic Exercise
• For More Information
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Pictures of 7 Effective Exercises - Slideshow

Aerobic Exercise Overview

Aerobic exercise is the type of moderate-intensity physical activity that you can sustain for more than just a few minutes with the objective of improving your cardiorespiratory fitness and your health. "Aerobic" means "in the presence of, or with, oxygen." You know you're doing aerobic exercise when your heart's thumping and you're breathing faster than you do at rest but you can sustain the activity for extended periods of time. I recommend the cue "warm and slightly out of breath" to determine if your activity level is aerobic. Walking, jogging, biking, dancing, and swimming are examples of activities that can be performed aerobically.

Anaerobic, on the other hand, means "the absence of, or without, oxygen." Anaerobic exercise is performed at an intensity that causes you to get out of breath quickly and can be sustained for only a few moments. Weight lifting and sprinting are examples of anaerobic exercise.