Combined with a nutritious diet and suitable strength training, aerobic exercise is one of the most effective ways to lose weight quickly and improve your cardiovascular health. Trainers also recommend aerobic exercises to improve your overall health. Aerobic exercises directly involve your heart, muscles and lungs, so the body requires higher levels of oxygen to meet the requirement of all these parts.

The best thing about exercises that improve your aerobic fitness is that you don’t need costly equipment or hours in the gym to carry out these exercises. Swimming and walking are two of the most common exercises that can help improve your aerobic fitness. Both these exercises burn calories at a much faster rate, help your heart function properly and lower your risk of suffering from diabetes.

To achieve the full benefits, aim to perform 45 to 60 minutes of aerobic exercise three to five days per week. However, to ensure your safety it is important to get your doctor’s permission before starting any aerobic fitness plan.

Walking briskly

Walking briskly for 30 to 45 minutes is the most effective work out you can do to improve your aerobic fitness. This exercise can be conveniently performed indoors (on a treadmill) or outside. If you are a beginner, it is recommended to start walking slowly and gradually add intensity to develop aerobic strength and fitness. Jogging offers the same benefits as walking; however, people with recurring chest pain and respiratory problems, such as asthma, should refrain from jogging. Similarly, overweight people or those suffering from arthritis pain are recommended to ride a regular bike or a stationary exercise bike instead of walking, running or jogging. The pedalling activity offers the same health benefits as walking or jogging – it benefits your heart while helping you avoid stress to the knees, ankles and back.

Swimming

Swimming is also very effective when it comes to developing your aerobic strength and fitness, especially if you already maintain an active daily regimen. An ideal aerobic workout should last somewhere between 30 and 45 minutes, and in order to achieve the full benefits, you will have to maintain a consistent intensity all through the week. Swim for 30 to 45 minutes at least five days a week.

Interval Cycling

Interval Cycling is also an effective and easy way to improve aerobic fitness and strength, since only two conditioning sessions of 15 minutes each in a week can provide you with maximum conditioning. Interval cycling combines riding a bike at a vigorous pace for 3 to 5 minutes followed by a short cool-down period, before returning back to the fast pace.