Aerobic Fitness Exercises

Aerobic exercises are the ones that use oxygen to burn carbohydrates and fats, such as running. In contrast, lifting weights and strength-training routines are anaerobic because they don't use oxygen or burn fat. A balanced program includes both types, and you can vary the aerobic portion of your fitness program by mixing and matching the many choices available.

Understand Aerobic Fitness

• Aerobic exercises cause you to breathe more deeply while your body processes more oxygen. Also called endurance exercises, they use continuous movements of the large muscles and increase your cardiovascular fitness. Adults should get 30 to 60 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise five days per week, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. For more vigorous activities, such as running, the ACSM recommends 20 to 60 minutes of exercise at least three days a week. You can also combine shorter workouts to make up the time spent exercising.

Walk Before You Run

• Walking is an ideal activity for beginners, especially if you start slowly. The American Council on Exercise recommends walking in place or stretching as a warm-up. For good form, keep your head high, relax your shoulders and let your arms swing. Running requires a higher level of fitness, so ACE recommends getting your doctor's approval first. If you're a beginner, you'll probably start at a slower jogging pace. For correct running posture, lean forward from the ankles and keep your head level, striking with your heels before rolling to the front of the foot. Wear cushioned shoes to protect your feet for walking or running, especially on hard surfaces.

Work Out Indoors

• Aerobic dancing is a fun way to exercise in a class at the gym or at home in front of a video. Low-impact programs can be performed by those with joint problems, and high-impact aerobics can be done for a harder workout, like step aerobics. Exercise machines at the gym offer many additional options, such as treadmills, stationary bicycles, ellipticals and ski machines. You can also choose a stair climber or stepper, although these machines challenge the knee and hip joints. Once you pick a favorite, you can purchase a home version for convenient workouts at any time.

Swim or Cycle

• Swimming and cycling are recreational activities with aerobic benefits. The most popular swim stroke is the crawl, also called freestyle, but you can add interest and variety to your workout by mixing in the breaststroke, sidestroke or butterfly. If you don't know the strokes, you can take lessons at a community college or fitness center. For example, good form for the crawl requires keeping your body elongated. Cycling is another activity you can enjoy alone or with others. It's low-impact and easy on the joints, an advantage for arthritis sufferers and overweight individuals. However, in bad weather you may sometimes have to substitute indoor cycling, depending on your climate.