There are many benefits of aerobic exercise. Fitness experts recommend that you exercise aerobically for 30 minutes, at least 5 days a week. This exercise goal can be achieved through low or high impact exercise, organized or unorganized sports, all at one shot or spread out throughout the day. However you manage to squeeze in those 30 minutes of exercise, every one of those minutes will benefit your body in many ways.

Improved Cardio-Vascular Health
Aerobic exercise works your heart and lungs, significantly improving heart and lung health. When exercising, make sure you are working out hard enough to sweat and to breathe hard. You should be able to still hold a conversation, but you should definitely be breathing much harder than normal. If you’d like to make sure your activity level remains in the aerobic activity range, you can invest in a heart rate monitor and chest strap.

Burned Calories
Aerobic exercise burns calories at an accelerated rate. Naturally, the level of intensity of the aerobic exercise determines the amount of calories burned per minute. Typically, running, cross-country skiing, playing squash and high-competition biking are the best calorie-burners of the aerobic activities. Next best is basketball, heavy work gymnastics, race-intensity swimming, vigorous racquet sports or tackle football. You can monitor calories burned per minute with a heart rate monitor and tailored fitness equipment.

Better Physique
While aerobic exercise might not bulk you up the way lifting weights will, you’ll still notice toning of your muscles and the loss of body fat. Increased aerobic activity combined with a sensible diet is the best way to lose weight, especially fat found around the stomach.

Emotional Health
Every time you exercise aerobically for 30 minutes, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins act like happy pills – some doctors say equal to a mild antidepressant. You’ll feel the tension leave your body and will experience a sense of well being.