Aerobic exercise

What 30 minutes a day can do for your body

Is 30 minutes a day of aerobic exercise the magic bullet you've been looking for? With benefits ranging from heart disease prevention to stress reduction, it's one of the best things you can do for your health.

Aerobic exercise — a type of movement such as walking or bicycling that gets your heart pumping and increases your oxygen intake — can help you live longer and healthier and can help you prevent and manage chronic health conditions.
Take a look at the many benefits associated with aerobic exercise. Get motivated to reap the rewards.

How your body responds to aerobic exercise

During aerobic exercise, you repeatedly move large muscles in your arms, legs and hips. Aerobic fitness, also called cardiovascular fitness, refers to the ability of your heart, blood vessels and lungs (cardiovascular system) to supply fuel during sustained physical activity.
When you're aerobically fit, your body more efficiently takes in and uses oxygen to sustain movement more efficiently. To sustain repetitive muscle movement, your body:

1. Takes in more oxygen. You breathe faster and more deeply to maximize the amount of oxygen in your blood stream.
2. Pumps blood faster and more forcefully. To produce energy and deliver oxygen more effectively to the rest of your body, your heart beats faster. The force of each beat of your heart increases to maximize blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs.

3. Increases the diameter and number of small blood vessels. To get more oxygen to your muscles, small blood vessels (capillaries) dilate and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Over time, more capillaries will actually develop in the muscle to provide for more efficient oxygen delivery and waste removal.

4. Avoids overheating. Your body warms up when you repeatedly move your muscles. To compensate for the rise in temperature, your body releases heat into the air as you breathe out. You also lose heat, water and minerals as you sweat.

5. Releases endorphins. Regular aerobic exercise releases endorphins, your body's natural painkillers.
Your body is a complex machine that will get stronger and more efficient as it adapts to a regular program of aerobic exercise.