3.70 Aerobic Exercise and Heart Health
In this HeartStrong.com video/article, we are going to discuss aerobic exercise and your heart health. Aerobic exercise is any activity that requires oxygen to keep going. In general, this refers to activities that elevate the heart rate for a prolonged period of time such as brisk walking, running or cycling. Recall that anaerobic exercises, such as strength training, do not rely on oxygen.
We have already discussed how the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) have recommendations for the amount of aerobic exercise of moderate to vigorous intensity that all people should do to optimize heart health ranging from 150-300 minutes per week. Here we will talk briefly about different types of aerobic exercise and importantly, how to monitor the intensity of your activity.
Types of Aerobic Exercise
The main types of aerobic activity include:
- Walking
- Jogging or running
- Bicycling
- Swimming
- Aeorobics
- Dancing