Want to use aerobic exercise to keep healthy? So did I, and so do I! But when I first came upon the idea of aerobic exercise the only option was jogging, although I think ‘aerobics’ or really aerobic dancing was just coming in. Not for me. So I joined the band of people who went around jogging up and down the road.

I learned that you needed to exercise every other day from the original exponents of the idea of aerobic exercise, and so that’s what I did. I used to be quite good at doing it every couple of days, except when travelling on business or on holiday.

Jogging for aerobics for a while -

Then I stopped doing it for a while, and took it up when I realised I was getting out of shape. Eventually, I got fed up with jogging. It is not much fun. Now if you are a really long distance runner, you get a kick from running – it’s a natural high. But I can’t say I got that.

Then, I heard that you can damage your joints, especially the knees, with too much jogging on concrete, so I gave it up – except at times of stress when I found the exercise helped calm me down! Of course, if you can jog on grass or heathland that will be OK, especially if you don’t do it too much.

Then I started swimming regularly

Later I tried swimming. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise you can take, as it exercises nearly every muscle in the body – and is definitely aerobic. I found I soon got bored with pounding up and down the pool, probably because I am not a good swimmer and use too much energy doing it.

So I gave that up, too! Next came cycling, and when I started I was living in a very hilly area, so you could not go more that a mile without coming to a steep hill and getting your heart beat up suitably. Despite those hills I enjoyed cycling – always have I suppose, ever since my first proper bike gave me some real freedom at thirteen years old.

So now I cycle every two days. Although it is fairly flat where I live there just enough hills for this to qualify as aerobic exercise. I enjoy it, and it keeps me fit. Of course you need some other exercise as well – and this can be walking occasional swimming or whatever.

So, to keep fit do some aerobic exercise. Try one you think you will enjoy, and if that doesn’t work, try another. Cycling, power walking – preferably in a hilly area – jogging, swimming, roller blading, many sports and lots of other forms of exercise qualify as aerobic. The minimum according to the experts is that you exercise for eight minutes with your heart beat up about 40%. You can achieve the same result with a lower increase for a longer period, so choose something that you enjoy as your form of aerobic exercise.