Health Topics for Exercise and Fitness

Smoking Cessation

Aerobic exercise: energy with oxygen

The term "aerobic" means "with air" or "with oxygen." Aerobic exercise uses muscles in a rhythmical and continuous fashion. It is any physical exercise that requires additional effort by the heart and lungs to meet the increased demand by the skeletal muscles for oxygen. Over time, heart and lung efficiency is improved with regular participation in aerobic activity.

Aerobic exercise training also:

• increases the body's energy level
• burns fat calories
• lowers blood pressure and
• helps the body tolerate stress better

Fitness through regular aerobic exercise greatly reduces the risk of getting lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and high blood pressure. Get moving if you want to be healthy, fit, and trim.

Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, hiking, swimming, jogging, bicycling, aerobic dancing, and cross country skiing.

Almost any exercise can be aerobic and produce systemic benefits if it:

• lasts at least 30 minutes without stopping
• gets you breathing deeply but not out of breath and
• uses the muscles primarily in the legs

Adults should get at least 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise most days of the week, preferably daily. (Children need at least 60 minutes a day.) Doing less than this will minimize your health benefits. Moderate aerobic exercise is generally defined as requiring about as much energy as walking 2 miles in 30 minutes.

Check with your healthcare provider before you start an exercise program. Choose activities that you enjoy and that are readily accessible.

Last Reviewed: 2005

Disclaimer: This content is reviewed periodically and is subject to change as new health information becomes available. The information provided is intended to be informative and educational and is not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional.

HIL File EXER3097.rf2 VRS# 7403 Data Version 7.0 Copyright 1998, 2002-2003 McKesson Health Solutions LLC. All rights reserved.