Aerobic activity is great for reducing stress, depression, and diabetes, improving the immune system, weight control, and the list goes on. Most importantly, aerobic exercise reduces the risk of heart disease which is the leading cause of death in America!
According to an article that I read in Fortune Magazine, “less than a quarter of Americans are getting enough exercise, based on federal standards”. If you are not part of the 25%, I encourage you to get started with incorporating aerobic activities into your lifestyle and motivate your family and friends to do the same.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends the following amount of aerobic activity for adults.
2 ½ hrs to 5 hrs per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity, or
1 ¼ hrs to 2 ½ hrs per week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, or
An equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.
Spreading the aerobic activity throughout the week and 20 to 60 minutes of “continuous” aerobic activity is preferred. Also, the recommended aerobic activity does NOT include weight training which is also recommended for health benefits.
Here are a few examples of moderate and vigorous-intensity activities.
Examples of moderate-intensity
Brisk walk at 4 mph
Cycling 10 to 12 mph
Cleaning heavy (washing windows, vacuuming, mopping)
Zumba, Aqua Class
Examples of vigorous-intensity
Jogging at 6 mph
Swimming laps
Cycling 14 to 16 mph
Cardio Kickboxing, High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Boot Camp
Next month, I will be in touch with my aerobic video for you too try!