| Anything that raises your pulse and makes you | | | | people as 15 minutes of jogging. |
| breathe hard steadily for 15 minutes or more is aerobic. | | | | If you are not in condition, you should ease into aerobic |
| If you do aerobic exercises daily, or atleast three or | | | | exercises slowly. This is especially important of you |
| four times a week, you will keep your lungs and heart | | | | are overweight. At first, just five minutes of jogging |
| in good condition. If your goal is to take part in athletic | | | | may tire you out. Lengthen you workouts slowly. The |
| competition, then you will want to devote much more | | | | chances are that within two weeks you will notice a |
| time than 15 minutes daily to aerobic exercises. | | | | difference. You will be able to jog further and faster. |
| Many sports, such as baseball and football, require only | | | | And if you have been careful about eating, you will |
| short burst of energy. These sports do not produce | | | | probably be getting slimmer. Aerobic exercises |
| aerobic benefits. But you need good aerobic | | | | combined with dieting will help you get rid of excess |
| conditioning to perform at your best when those bursts | | | | fat. |
| of energy are needed. That is why baseball and | | | | A related type of exercise is anaerobic exercise. The |
| football players make aerobic exercises a major part | | | | word "anaerobic" means "without oxygen." When |
| of their conditioning programs. | | | | doing anaerobic exercises, such as sprinting, you very |
| Some sports, such as bowling or billiards, will not keep | | | | quickly become out of breath. It is impossible to sprint |
| you fit. But being fit will improve your performance in all | | | | for long periods of time. You must soon stop to catch |
| sports. | | | | your breath. Anaerobic exercises are used by top |
| How hard you work at aerobic exercise determines | | | | athletes to build up their speed. |
| the amount of benefit you get from it. If your bicycle | | | | But in an ordinary physical fitness program, anaerobic |
| riding is nothing more than downhill coasting, you will | | | | exercises are not recommended. Instead you should |
| gain little benefit. You must exercise hard for maximum | | | | concentrate on aerobic exercises. |
| benefit. | | | | Aerobic classes are offered in most gyms and you |
| But suppose you do not enjoy exercising hard for 15 | | | | would greatly benefit if you enroll or make it a part of |
| minutes or more. You can also benefit from slower | | | | your regular work-out. Some enjoy and reap great |
| activities such as walking or easy swimming, but you | | | | benefits from aerobic dance classes that they no |
| must do them for longer periods. An hour of brisk | | | | longer need another work-out. |
| walking, for example, will do as much good for most | | | | |