Regardless of age, weight or athletic ability, aerobic activity is good for you.
As your body adapts to regular aerobic exercise, you’ll get stronger and fitter. Consider these Top 10 ways that aerobic activity can help you feel better and enjoy life to the fullest:
1. Keeps excess pounds at bay.
Combined with a healthy diet, aerobic exercise helps you lose weight — and keep it off.
2. Increases your stamina.
Aerobic exercise may make you tired in the short term. But over the long term, you’ll enjoy increased stamina and reduced fatigue.
3. Wards off viral illnesses.
Aerobic exercise activates your immune system. This leaves you less susceptible to minor viral illnesses, such as colds and flu.
4. Reduces your health risks.
Aerobic exercise reduces the risk of many conditions, including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer. Weight-bearing aerobic exercises, such as walking, reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
5. Manages chronic conditions.
Aerobic exercise helps lower high blood pressure and control blood sugar. If you’ve had a heart attack, aerobic exercise helps prevent subsequent attacks.
6. Strengthens your heart.
A stronger heart doesn’t need to beat as fast. A stronger heart also pumps blood more efficiently, which improves blood flow to all parts of your body.
7. Keeps your arteries clear.
Aerobic exercise boosts your high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “good”) cholesterol and lowers your low-density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol. The potential result? Less buildup of plaques in your arteries.
8. Boosts your mood.
Aerobic exercise can ease the gloominess of depression, reduce the tension associated with anxiety and promote relaxation.
9. Enhances Mobility and Independence as you age.
Aerobic exercise keeps your muscles strong, which can help you maintain mobility as you get older. Aerobic exercise also keeps your mind sharp. At least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three days a week seems to reduce cognitive decline in older adults.
10. Supports Longer Life!
Studies show that people who participate in regular aerobic exercise live longer than those who don’t exercise regularly.
Ready to get more active? Great. Just remember to start with small steps.
If you’ve been inactive for a long time or if you have a chronic health condition, get your doctor’s OK before you start. When you’re ready to begin exercising, start slowly. You might walk five minutes in the morning and five minutes in the evening. The next day, add a few minutes to each walking session. Pick up the pace a bit, too. Soon, you could be walking briskly for at least 30 minutes a day — and reaping all the benefits of regular aerobic activity.
Resources: www.mayoclinic.com
