Aerobic breathing exercises help to increase your heart rate for an extended period of time, according to the American Heart Association. Exercises increase your lung capacity and improve the overall health of your cardiovascular system. Aerobic exercise is also known as endurance or cardiovascular exercise. To help improve your cardiovascular health, get 30 minutes of moderately-brisk exercise on at least five days of the week.
Sitting Aerobics
Chair aerobics will increase your heart rate. Chair aerobics combine calisthenics with aerobic fitness maneuvers, according to the American Heart Association. These exercises can increase your muscular strength and flexibility while improving your blood circulation. Do an exercise mimicking picking apples, according to Sit and Be Fit. Sit upright in a firm chair. Place your feet firmly on the floor. Keep your neck straight as you look straight ahead. Slowly lift both arms toward the ceiling. Move them as quickly as possible back towards the floor. Lift your right arm up toward the ceiling. Lift as far as possible and pretend you are picking an apple from the highest branch of a tree. Stretch your fingers as much as possible while picking the apple. Lower your arm toward the floor. Repeat this exercise eight times. Do this exercise again with your left hand. Instead of doing eight repetitions with each arm, you can alternate arms. This chair aerobic exercise can be done by all age levels.
Dancing
Varieties of dancing can increase your heart rate and provide exercise. Find a dance that appeals to you. Take a dancing lesson to either learn a new dance or brush-up on one you have not done for a while. Check with your local community center or college for class availability. Styles of aerobic dancing include salsa, tango, ballroom, cha-cha, square dancing, ballet, contra and line dancing. Line dancing consists of Honky Tonk Stomp, Electric Slide and others and is offered at no charge through local communities, according to the American Heart Association. Dancing can be done solo or with a partner. Choose fast tunes to dance to instead of slower ones. If dancing for 30 minutes at a time is too much for you, divide that into 10-minute increments, according to the American Heart Association. Take a two-minute break to catch your breath. Start dancing again for another 10 minutes. Remember to drink plenty of water. Wear comfortable shoes to prevent injury.
Household Activities
Performing different activities around your house will provide a good workout. Start looking at raking leaves, shoveling snow, mowing your lawn with a body-powered mower, pruning your bushes and landscaping your lawn as ways to get exercise. Gardening and its tasks such as bending, reaching, planting and digging can help you get exercise, according to the American Heart Association. Instead of hiring someone to do your housework, do it yourself. Cleaning toilets, dusting, vacuuming, rearranging furniture and cupboards, indoor or outdoor house painting, gathering and putting out the trash plus scrubbing walls can help you get your aerobic exercise.
