In this Article

• What is aerobic exercise?
• How aerobically fit can we be?
• What are the fitness benefits of aerobic exercise?
• What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise?
• What are the health benefits of aerobic exercise?
• How much aerobic exercise do you need to do to gain the benefits?
• How do I go about getting started with aerobic exercise?
• How do I calculate my target heart rate during aerobic exercise?
• What are some aerobic training workouts and routines?
• What aerobic equipment is involved?
• What are the different types of aerobics classes?
• What resources are available to people interested in aerobics?
• Aerobic Exercise Index

How much aerobic exercise do you need to do to gain the benefits?

There are two physical activity guidelines in the Unites States. The first, the Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, is a lifestyle recommendation. That is, you can modify it to fit into your daily routine and activities of daily living. The recommendation is that all adults should accumulate 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity on most, if not all days of the week. The key words are "accumulate" and "moderate-intensity." Accumulate means that you can do 10-15 minutes at a time and repeat that a couple of times throughout the day; for example, 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes at lunch, and 10 minutes around dinner. Moderate intensity is equivalent to feeling "warm and slightly out of breath" when you do it.

The second recommendation is from the American College of Sports Medicine. The ACSM recommends 20-60 minutes of continuous aerobic activity (biking, walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, etc.), three to five times a week, at 60%-90% of maximum heart rate, and two to three days of resistance training. This is a more formal, "workout" recommendation, although you can also accumulate the more intense workout in bouts of 10-15 minutes throughout the day if you like.

Which one you choose is a personal choice. They are not intended to compete with each other, but rather provide options, and maybe even complement each other. For instance, the Surgeon General's recommendation may be more practical for individuals who are unwilling, or unable, to adopt the more formal ACSM recommendation. Of course, there's no downside to working out regularly with aerobic exercise and also becoming more physically active as per the Surgeon General (take more stairs, mow the lawn by hand, park far away from the store and walk).

How do I go about getting started with aerobic exercise?

My suggestion for getting started is almost always the same. Keep it simple, keep it practical, keep it convenient, keep it realistic, keep it specific, and don't try to make up for years of inactivity all at once. Select any activity and amount of time where the probability of sticking with it is high. You may not love walking, but if you can do it right outside your door, and it requires no special equipment, and you already know how to do it (you've been walking your entire life!), then walking might be your best bet for getting started because it's so convenient.

What I mean by "be specific" pertains to setting exercise plans. Planning is helpful for behavior change, and I suggest that you set goals each week. I suggest writing down what day(s) of the week you'll exercise, what time of day, minutes of activity, location, and the activity that you'll do. Be as specific and realistic as possible, and remember that it's not how much you do when you get started but that you simply get started (getting started is usually the hardest part).

A sample plan might look like this:

Monday: Take a 20-minute brisk walk at 7 a.m. around the block four times.

Tuesday: Do the same as on Monday.

Wednesday: Take a 20-minute walk at 6:30 p.m. (right before dinner) around the block.

Thursday: Take the day off.

Friday: Take a 20-minute walk at 7 a.m. around the block.

Saturday: Walk with your family at 10 a.m. for 45 minutes in park.

Sunday: Bike ride with your spouse for 60 minutes in park at noon. Mom will baby-sit.

I suggest keeping records of your weekly progress by writing down what happens, or at least checking off that you followed through, and then setting your weekly plan every week for at least three months. Then at three months you can evaluate your progress and see if any changes need to be made. Also ask yourself at that time if you believe you will be exercising regularly in six more months. If the answer is "I'm not sure," or "no," then you ought to continue to set weekly goals. If you are confident that you can maintain the behavior and will be exercising in six months, then you may not need to set weekly goals, but at the fist sign of slipping, you ought to go back to it.