Being overweight or obese often leads to serious and even fatal diseases such as some cancers, cardiovascular disease and stroke, diabetes and infertility. Aerobic activity is an effective way to fight your risk for disease and regain a better quality of life. Aerobic activity can also help you maintain your current weight if weight loss is not your goal. While most exercise is safe, talk to your doctor and get her approval before beginning any new workout routine.
Aerobic Activity
According to aerobics instructor Lisa Balbach, aerobic exercise is defined by using a large muscle group, rhythmically, for a sustained period of time, such as 15 to 20 minutes with an elevated heart rate. The Harvard School of Public Health states that aerobic activity reduces your overall risk of developing serious illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and even some cancers.
Guidelines
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week. Moderate-intensity exercises are recreational bicycling, ballroom dancing, light housework, walking at 2 mph or doubles tennis. Vigorous activities include circuit weight training, jogging at 6 mph, singles tennis or bicycling at 13 mph or more.
10 Minute Increments
A busy schedule often leads to skipping your exercise routine, which is suggested to be 30 to 60 minutes in duration at least five days a week. You can get the exercise you need by breaking it up into 10-minute sessions. Try taking three 10-minute brisk walks each day. An easy way to do this is to walk before or after each meal. The same can be done with other exercises, as long as you are working at a moderate or vigorous-intensity for at least 10 minutes. Biking to and from work is another great way to get two 10 or 15-minute sessions in each day.
Losing Weight
If you are trying to lose weight, you may need to exercise more than the 150 minutes. To burn 1 lb. of fat you need to burn 3,500 more calories than you consume. Exercising is an effective way to work off those calories. If you weigh 150 lbs. you can engage in aerobic dancing for one hour and burn 546 calories, according to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition. At this rate, you will lose 1 lb. per week.
References
- Kirtland Community College; What is Aerobic Exercise and Why Should I Do It?; Lisa Balbach
- Harvard School of Public Health: How to Get to Your Healthy Weight
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: How Much Physical Activity do Adults Need?
- The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition: Exercise and Weight Control
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