Aerobic exercise covers any activity which raises a person's metabolism.
For many people who take part in aerobics, their primary motivation is to improve their appearance through weight loss and better muscle tone.
But aerobic exercise is also extremely beneficial to a person's health, making it something which everyone should incorporate into their routine several times a week.
Regular aerobic exercise helps strengthen the respiratory muscles.
In doing this, a person can increase their lung capacity which will improve their stamina when exercising and should make them feel healthier and more energised.
Aerobics can also strengthen the heart muscle which will enhance its ability to effectively pump blood around the body and will reduce a person's resting heart rate.
This is especially beneficial for people who have been diagnosed with hypertension or who suffer from stress, which can trigger high blood pressure.
Improving the circulation system through aerobic exercise will help the body use oxygen more effectively.
The reason for this is cardiovascular exercise increases the number of red blood cells, which facilitate the transportation of oxygen throughout the body.
Doing regular aerobics increases the rate in which your body burns calories which, along with a balanced diet, will help either maintain a healthy weight or shed excess pounds.
This increase in metabolism will last for several hours after the aerobic work out.
A healthy body mass index can significantly reduce a person's risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, as well as serious health problems such as cardiovascular disease.
Aerobic exercise is of particular benefit to women, who are generally at more risk of problems such as osteoporosis, as high impact activities such as jogging can increase bone density.
Aerobic exercise can boost your mental health as well as your physical health, as exercise affects the level of certain hormones in the body.
For instance, when exercising the endocrine system is stimulated to emit endorphins that elevate the mood or produce chemicals which lower cholesterol.
The mood enhancing effects of aerobic exercise means that it is a particularly beneficial activity to people undergoing a period of stress, or who may be suffering from clinical depression.
Doing aerobics will also improve your lymphatic flow.
The lymphatic system is responsible extremely important in defending the body against toxins and disease.
In combination with the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise on hormone secretion, this can lead to greater immunity against illness.
If you have previously led a fairly inactive lifestyle the idea of incorporating aerobic exercise into your life may be quite intimidating.
However, if you start small, for instance starting off with 10 minute sessions, you will find it soon becomes much easier as your strength and stamina increases, and you start to experience the health benefits of a regular aerobic work out.