What is Aerobic Exercise, and Why you should need to Add it to Your Workout Routine?

What is aerobic exercise?

When you do aerobic exercise, you move your large muscle groups (think legs, glutes, and core) at the same time, usually in a rhythmic way, and for an extended period of time, Michele Olson said that “Your respiration goes up, as does your heart rate to about 60 to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, but not over that max,” Olson says.

All aerobic exercise counts as a cardiovascular activity, which is why you’ll often hear “cardio” used in place of “aerobic.” (FYI, though, not all cardio exercise is aerobic but more on that below.) So, you can label activities like running, swimming, cycling, and even speed walking as aerobic exercises.

The key to making movement aerobic: “You need to be able to sustain the activity for more than two minutes with sufficient oxygen intake,” explains Noam Tamir,   That means even as your breathing rate increases, you shouldn’t find yourself gasping for air. “The intensity is usually light to moderate, so you’re able to continue for about 30 to 60 minutes without spiking your heart rate significantly.”

What are the health benefits of aerobic exercise?

Cardio days provide some of the best days for your cardiovascular system (hence the name), but benefits go beyond that of the heart. “Aerobic activity lowers your blood pressure and blood lipids, and normalizes your blood glucose,” explains Olson, all of which will help you live longer and lower risk of conditions like diabetes.

Tons of research backs up these aerobic advantages, which is why the American Heart Association recommends people get 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. In addition to fighting off risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, it can also help keep your brain sharp, better your bones (even more so if you do it often and add a little impact), and battle depression.

Plus, the more aerobic activity you do, the better you’ll get at it. Aerobic training can increase the size and strength of your slow twitch muscles—those involved in longer, sustained workout efforts like long-distance running. It can also improve your VO2 max, a major marker of fitness level which reveals how much oxygen your body can take in and utilize. With all that comes enhanced endurance, Tamir says—in everyday life, getting regular aerobic exercise also simply means you can jog to catch your bus or walk for miles without feeling super tired.

How to do an aerobic workout at home:

While common aerobic activities include jogging, swimming, cycling, rowing, and brisk walking , circuit workouts work too. “All you have to do is perform at the required heart rate and intensity levels so that you’re able to maintain it for an extended period of time,” says Tamir.

If you don’t feel like going outside or even leaving your house, but still want an aerobic workout, there's a perfect solution: this bodyweight routine from Tamir. Do the 12 exercises below in order for 30 seconds each and 5 rounds, with as little rest as possible between exercises:

1. High knees
2. Mountain climbers
3. Walkouts/inchworms
4. High skips
5. Bodyweight squats
6. Jumping jacks
7. Crunches

Something to remember while performing this circuit: Work at a moderate intensity, so going from move to move sans breaks shouldn’t feel too challenging. If you do need a break, go a little slower. You’ll get better each time you do it.