Aerobic Exercise -Health Benefits And Physical Fitness

Physical activity like aerobic exercise can modify risk for cardiovascular disease. It can lessen the risk for variety of other chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, cancer (colon and breast), obesity, hypertension, bone and joint diseases (osteoporosis and osteoarthritis), and depression.

Both men and women who reported increased levels of physical activity and fitness were found to have reductions in relative risk of death.

Physically inactive middle-aged women (engaging in less than 1 hour of exercise per week) experienced a 52% increase in all-cause mortality, a doubling of cardiovascular-related mortality and a 29% increase in cancer-related mortality compared with physically active women.

Both aerobic exercise and resistance types of exercise have been shown to be associated with a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes

Routine physical activity and aerobic exercise, especially weight-bearing and impact exercise, prevents bone loss associated with ageing.

The risk and incidence of fractures is also reduced among active people involved in aerobic exercise.

Resistance exercise not only builds and maintains muscle mass and uses fat stores, but it increases bone density as well.

Examples of resistance exercises:

•       Push ups

•       Bicep burls with dumbbells

•       Lifting a bag of groceries

Aerobic exercise is great for cardiovascular health. This is the exercise that gets your heart rate up and is considered to be more endurance exercise.

Examples of aerobic exercises:

•       Going for a brisk walk

•       Jogging

•       Going on a bike ride

•       Hiking

•       Swimming