What is Aerobic Exercise?

February 11, 2020 – What do you think of when you think aerobic exercise? Walking, biking, swimming, golfing? The truth is that all of these are great examples of aerobic activity and these are just the tip of the iceberg.

(image obtained from study.com)

Some people find it much easier to participate in aerobic activities in the summer months. We generally get more sun and because of that we are usually in a better mood and thus more active. It is easier to go for a walk or a jog outside, to head to the local pool or lake for a swim, to go to our great State Parks and do some hiking or rowing. But what about this time of year?

In the winter most of our days are spent inside trying to get exercise. This is hard to do as we are usually stuck inside working and then don’t want to go outside in the sloppy and cold winter weather, making it hard to get a good workout in. At the gym we can get on the treadmill, exercise bike, stair climber, rowing machine, or elliptical to get our heart rate up. But sometimes, getting around some other people makes that workout seem better. Taking a kick boxing or dancing class can get our blood pumping. Working on circuit training or doing other aerobic classes can also help.

Once you find an activity that you enjoy then we need to understand how well it works on our heart. In our blog last week we presented ways to measure how hard you and your heart are working. Typically moderate intensity aerobic activities could include walking, biking, golfing without a cart, or dancing. Vigorous activities including running, soccer, basketball, cross country skiing, or swimming.

For further guidelines or questions please contact us at 402-234-3333 in Louisville or 402-298-4747 in Plattsmouth.

Your Witte Physical Therapy team #homegrown #backtolife