50 Benefits of Aerobic Training or Planned Progressive Physical Activity

Most of our Method Health community already enjoy and prioritise being physically active regardless of their busy lives. This is good. As of 2023, a lack of weekly physical activity or exercise is the fourth largest global risk factor for early death, behind smoking, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar (Noncommunicable Disease Surveillance, WHO Monitoring and Reporting + Lack of exercise is a major cause of chronic diseases). Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement produced by skeletal muscles that requires energy expenditure, such as working, playing, carrying out household chores, travelling, and engaging in recreational pursuits. Many assume these activities are “exercise,” but in terms of health outcomes, they are not. Exercise forms a subset of physical activity that offers a more predictable improvement in health outcomes (Physical activity and exercise guidelines for all Australians | Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care). Exercise is defined as a structured, planned, repetitive approach to physical activity with the primary goal to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness (Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health). For example, physical activity is walking while exercise is walking while using a map. 

Completing both subcategories of exercise, including aerobic and strength exercise is essential for the best chance at a long and healthy life. While the benefits of strength training is discussed in this article, aerobic training is defined in this article as the subcategory of physical activity that is any activity that is structured, planned, repetitive movements completed with the goal to improve your aerobic fitness. A few groans and growls when we suggest completing the path/Lake run, rowing ergo, skiing, burpees, sleds, treadmill sprints, cycling, or upper body cycle ergo (but everyone loves the mitts). These, however, are all forms of aerobic training. Aerobic and strength training produce distinct adaptations that result in divergent health improvements whilst both trigger shared exercise adaptation that promotes better health (Exercise as a Therapeutic Intervention for Chronic Disease Management). Like apples and oranges, it's advisable to consume both of each, just like for strength and aerobic training to have complete exercise based health benefits. In this article, we will focus on the 50 benefits of regular aerobic training.

(The wonder exerkines—novel insights: a critical state-of-the-art review).

Exercise or sport-related benefits:

1. Regular progressive PA increases aerobic fitness, reducing fatigue from activities such as all your daily living tasks (Fatigue in the general population- associations to age, sex, socioeconomic status, physical activity, sitting time and self-rated health + Fatigue interventions in long term, physical health conditions).  Increased aerobic fitness primarily occurs through increased muscle capillarisation and capillary function (increase in blood flow and oxygen supply to the muscle), increased red blood cells (to increase oxygen carrying capacity), improved energy metabolism (your mitochondria become more efficient, allowing energy utilisation to occur at faster rates from our stored and quickly created energy sources: carbohydrates, fat, and protein), and heart adaptations that increase the hearts’ filling and contraction capacity (which allows more blood to be pumped around the body with each contraction) (Physiology and Pathophysiology of Marathon Running + Normal Versus Chronic Adaptations to Aerobic Exercise + Effects of Exercise Training on Mitochondrial and Capillary Growth in Human Skeletal Muscle). 

2. Weekly aerobic training improves tolerance to recreational hobbies like hiking (Exercise for Walking and Hiking), swimming (Swimming Biomechanics - YouTube), and cycling (A Scientific Approach to Improve Physiological Capacity of an Elite Cyclist).

3. Regular running increases tendon stiffness, which is beneficial for improving running economy (reducing energy consumption during a task) and, consequently, performance (Human tendon adaptation in response to mechanical loading). Even muscle strength improves slightly with the initiation of aerobic training, especially in individuals who are very sedentary and start exercising, although not as significantly as through strength training (Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy after Aerobic Exercise Training). 

4. Improves sport-related running tolerance and performance, allowing all ages to enjoy the benefit of sports participation (Current Periodization, Testing, and Monitoring Practices of Strength and Conditioning Coaches + Health Benefits of Different Sports. Meta-Analysis 2.6 Million Adult Participants).

5. Reduces sports-related injuries risk. In sports injuries where fatigue is a risk factor, improved aerobic fitness is one of the physical qualities that help reduce fatigue rate during sport, which might protect against injury (Preseason Aerobic Fitness Predicts In-Season Injury and Illness in Female Youth Athletes + Identification of Risk Factors Prospectively Associated With Musculoskeletal Injury + Does Acute Fatigue Negatively Affect Intrinsic Risk Factors of the Lower Extremity Injury Risk Profile?). Early initiated tolerable aerobic exercise is also helpful for speeding up recovery from most sprains and strains (Soft-tissue injuries simply need PEACE and LOVE).

6. Aerobic training, such as 10 minutes of walking or running, improves short-term range of motion, plus offers additional benefits to justify replacing stretching for that amount of time (The effect of warm-up intensity on range of motion and anaerobic performance).  Importantly, as listed, aerobic training has more additional benefits that are not provided by stretching (The Case for Retiring Flexibility as a Major Component of Physical Fitness).

7. Even in small amounts compared to just resting, walking after strength or sports activity can quicken recovery from exercise, allowing you to complete more of these types of exercises (Effects of Passive or Active Recovery Regimes Applied During Long-Term Interval Training on Physical Fitness in Healthy Trained and Untrained Individuals). This is particularly relevant for our Method Health group classes where the goal is to complete as much work across the session as possible to improve exercise tolerance, health, increase daily energy expenditure and enhance body composition.

   
   

   

   During progressive aerobic training, various mechanisms within your body contribute to increased aerobic fitness over time (Link).

   
   

   Health related benefits:

   
   

8. Reduces the age of dying from any cause. Studies indicate a 30% lower risk of early death among participants who engage in adequate aerobic training. That’s a 40% lower risk in all-cause mortality when combining aerobic and resistance training into your week (Association of muscle strength and cardiorespiratory fitness with all-cause and cancer-specific mortality in patients diagnosed with cancer + Physical activity and life expectancy + Fitness & Mortality - What's The Link - Dr Paddy Barrett). Imagine a pill that promised that health benefit. Everyone would seek or be prescribed that pill. Running or jogging even less than 30 minutes per week at any pace reduces the risk of premature death (Is running associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and is the more the better?).

9. Reduces risk and improves the management of cardiovascular disease (Exercise as a Therapeutic Tool in Age-Related Frailty and Cardiovascular Disease + Exercise effects on cardiovascular disease + PREVENT-ing Heart Disease - Barbell Medicine Podcast - Apple Podcasts + The Science of Cardiac Health for Runners). Regular aerobic activity helps reduce/improve:

   • High Blood pressure (The form of exercise to decrease resting blood pressure in older adults).

   • Blood lipids, such as LDL cholesterol (The Effect of Exercise Training on Blood Lipids).

   • Persistent inflammation (Anti-inflammatory effects of exercise).

   • Coronary/ischemic heart disease, angina-related heart pain during exercise, and recovery from a heart attack (Exercise‐based cardiac rehabilitation).

   • Atrial Fibrillation (Barbell Medicine Podcast - Apple Podcasts).

   • Stroke risk (The Extreme Exercise Hypothesishe Extreme - Barbell Medicine Podcast + Clinical guidelines | Stroke Foundation - Australia).

   • Peripheral Artery Disease (Implementation of Supervised Exercise Therapy for Patients With Symptomatic Peripheral Artery Disease: Circulation).

   • Left and right-sided heart failure (Exercise as medicine – evidence for prescribing exercise as therapy in 26 different chronic diseases),

   • Deep vein thrombosis formation (Deep vein thrombosis: Symptoms, causes and treatments). 

   • Dysautonomia or other conditions causing sudden rapid drops in blood pressure like POTS (POTs treatment + Exercise and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of POTS).

10. Helps manage and reverse type 2 diabetes (T2D) and improves management of type 1 diabetes (T1D). For type 2 diabetes (T2D), especially when combined with strength training, aerobic exercise is a potent way to improve blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity (Towards optimizing exercise prescription for type 2 diabetes). A one-point increase in VO2 max (a measure of aerobic fitness) is associated with 3% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Causal associations between cardiorespiratory fitness and type 2 diabetes). Sedentary behaviour decreases insulin sensitivity and increases total body fat, which impairs glucose metabolism, contributing to the development of T2D (Insulin Resistance in Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes Is Associated with Impaired Exercise Capacity). Maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active can help mitigate the effects of consuming irregular, minimal amounts of processed carbohydrates and soft drinks (Carbohydrate quantity in the dietary management of type 2 diabetes). Regular PA can help T2D without needing to lose weight (Mobilization of visceral adipose tissue related to the improvement in insulin sensitivity). although significant weight loss and regular exercise can assist with T2D remission (Reversing type 2 diabetes | Roy Taylor, PhD - The Proof). Related to T1D, exercise reduces blood glucose levels without needing insulin, so you will use less daily insulin over time and save insulin-related costs (Importance of exercise for people with diabetes).

11. Reduces Cancer risk and recurrence for most types of cancer is reduced (Impact of Exercise on Cancer Mortality, Recurrence, and Treatment-Related Adverse Effects + Exercise Oncology: Facilitate Exercise) especially among individuals who participate in weekly running (Is running associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality, and is the more the better?). This is especially seen in colon, endometrial, breast, and prostate cancer rates. Increased weekly activity also increases the chance of survival from cancer compared to those who are physically inactive (Oncology care provider perspectives on exercise promotion in people with cancer), improves effectiveness of chemotherapy (Effects of aerobic or resistance exercise during neoadjuvant chemotherapy on tumor response and therapy completion in women with breast cancer + Structured Exercise after Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Colon Cancer), and predict cancer treatment completion (Exercise May Improve Completion of Standard and Emerging Cancer Treatments). Unhelpfully, many might be told to stop exercise around these times, told to “keep it light” or not given safer options to stay active. Nothing beats exercise for improving blood flow around the whole body which means better medicinal delivery around the body. Regular exercise also assists in cancer-related fatigue and pain that can increase during and after cancer treatment (Which Exercise Approaches Work for Relieving Cancer-Related Fatigue? + Exercise Training for Improving Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients With Advanced-Stage Cancer + Exercise During Cancer Treatment). 

12. Elevates positive mood (Does physical activity-based intervention decrease repetitive negative thinking?). 

13. Lowers rates of depression and anxiety (Physical Activity and Incident Depression + Physical activity protects from incident anxiety + From movement to motivation: a proposed framework to understand the antidepressant effect of exercise). Endorphins released from the brain due to repetitive muscle contraction contribute to the “runner's high” especially when exercise is completed outdoors in the green (What is the Best Dose of Nature and Green Exercise for Improving Mental Health? + Physical activity protects from incident anxiety). Reduction of depression with exercise has also been shown to be effective (Exercise as medicine for depressive symptoms?+ Antidepressants or running therapy).

14. Reverse the negative effects of social isolation (Real-life behavioral and neural circuit markers of physical activity as a compensatory mechanism for social isolation). Also, assist in managing the treatment of alcoholism (Is Exercise a Useful Intervention in the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder?), and substance abuse (Exercise Intervention Program for People With Substance Use Disorder).

15. Improves symptoms of schizophrenia with only 90 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week (Aerobic exercise and cognitive functioning in schizophrenia: + A systematic review and meta-analysis of exercise interventions in schizophrenia patients).

16. Exercise is often preferred as first-line therapy for most pain conditions prior to medications like Panadol and Nurofen, due to fewer side effects and greater pain reducing effects (Physical Activity as a Central Pillar of Lifestyle Modification in the Management of Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain), partially through “exercise-induced analgesic effects” (Does exercise increase or decrease pain? Central mechanisms underlying these two phenomena). and reducing inflammatory-related mediators of pain unique and separate from the effects of weight loss (The effect of exercise on cytokines: implications for musculoskeletal health).

17. Regular physical activity in doses encouraged by most international guidelines has no adverse effect on joint health in people with or without osteoarthritis (OA) (Flippin' Arthritis: Making sure people who get it, get it + Introduction to OA Optimism). Regular physical activity contributes to preventing disability associated with OA (2025 Facts about Osteoarthritis). Running in moderate amounts, less than 250 minutes per week, has not been shown to harm or cause osteoarthritis (Effects of Running on the Development of Knee Osteoarthritis + Running and Osteoarthritis). Reduces rates of persistent joint pain in most joints with OA (OA Optimism - physical activity and poking into pain + Knee Osteoarthritis (OA)). 

18. Improves health and joint pain in those with rheumatoid arthritis (What are the core recommendations for rheumatoid arthritis care? + The anti-inflammatory effects of exercise on autoimmune diseases: A 20-year systematic review). 

19. The fitter you are, the better you tolerate heat stress, which is great for maintaining comfort during hot summers (Moving in a hotter world: Maintaining adequate childhood fitness as a climate change countermeasure + Effects of Heat and Humidity on Cycling Training and Performance). 

20. Decreased risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease through a decrease in the rate of cognitive decline seen with aging (Association of cardiorespiratory fitness with dementia risk across different levels of genetic predisposition). It can also improve cognition in people with or without cognitive impairment (Effects of reducing sedentary behaviour by increasing physical activity, on cognitive function, brain function and structure across the lifespan). 

21. Improves your brain function, including increasing attention, problem-solving, and creativity capacity. There is a significant positive relationship between physical activity levels and perceptual skills, intelligence, and achievement in verbal and mathematical tests (Physical Fitness and Risk of Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents + Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Educational Outcomes Among Australian University Students). Children with low physical activity levels tend to have poorer academic achievement scores than their physically fit counterparts (Exercise Interventions and Intelligence in Children and Adolescents + Childhood Physical Fitness as a Predictor of Cognition and Mental Health in Adolescence). The cognitive effects of physical activity are likely related to positive structural changes, including increased blood vessel and nerve formation, as well as the release of hormones by the brain in response to exercise that enhance the function of existing nerves and blood vessels within specific brain areas. 

22. Regular exercise improves body image regardless of body appearance changes (Effects of exercise interventions on body image + The effects of aerobic- versus strength-training on body image among young women with pre-existing body image concerns).

23. Increases independence at all ages, especially in older adults, and improves quality of life significantly. Primary aging is inevitable, but secondary or “physiological” aging, which occurs more rapidly due to disease, and reduced physical activity, is preventable. Maintain or increase your age-related walking speed, walking tolerance, and safety with aerobic exercise each week (Global consensus on optimal exercise recommendations for enhancing healthy longevity in older adults).

24. Improves eye health (Effects and potential mechanisms of exercise and physical activity on eye health).

25. Assist in body fat reduction and systemic adipose and aging-related inflammation (The Anti-Inflammatory Actions of Exercise Training). which are significantly influenced by a sedentary lifestyle. Weekly planned physical activity for 150 minutes per week can help maintain diet-related weight loss, while more than 300 minutes per week can aid in weight loss beyond dieting (Fat Loss Myths + Fat Loss ONLY By Doing Cardio? Without Dropping Calories? + How-To Train While Losing Weight - Barbell Medicine).

26. “Early mobilisation,” the technical term used in hospitals to describe the planned aerobic exercise of being assisted out of your hospital bed and complete walking and physio-guided exercises each day, reduces hospital visit-related disability and the time spent in the hospital (Exercise Recommendations in Primary Care).  

27. Improved recovery from emergency or elective joint or organ surgery, severe COVID-19, ICU care (yes, you can exercise while breathing is assisted by a ventilator), or post-trauma-related surgery (Enhanced Recovery After Surgery). 

28. Increased immunity (muscle is an endocrine organ, releasing many helpful immune hormones during vigorous contraction) (Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression + Physical inactivity is associated with a higher risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes + The compelling link between physical activity and the body's defense system).

29. Improves vaccine effectiveness (Cardiovascular exercise training extends influenza vaccine + Moderate exercise improves antibody response to influenza immunization in older adults + Exercise prior to influenza vaccination for limiting influenza incidence and its related complications in adults + Augmenting immune responses to varicella zoster virus in older adults + Effects of Regular Physical Activity on the Immune System, Vaccination and Risk of Community-Acquired Infectious Disease). Again, although being well-intended many might be told to stop exercise completely after a vaccination, told to “keep it light” or not given safer options to stay active. Nothing beats exercise for improving blood flow around the whole body which means better medicinal delivery around the body (The effects of exercise on vaccination responses + Elderly men with moderate and intense training lifestyle present sustained higher antibody responses to influenza vaccine).

30. Also related to your immune system, regular exercise also reduces total days sick, yearly frequency. Most data suggests there is a “J-shaped” relationship between physical inactivity and acquiring upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) or the common cold, with very little increasing the risk of sickness, moderate amounts having the most protective effects of reducing URTI, with large amounts having the largest risk for those with large training volume leading up to a long-distance running competition (but this is for training accumulation periods longer than one week) (The Common Cold - Barbell Medicine Podcast + Debunking the Myth of Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression: Redefining the Impact of Exercise on Immunological Health Across the Lifespan + The Effect of Exercise on Prevention of the Common Cold) and reduces the severity of symptoms when getting the common cold (Exercise versus no exercise for the occurrence, severity, and duration of acute respiratory infections). Regular exercise also protects you against dying from lung infections such as pneumonia, protecting you from any unplanned extended stays in the hospital (Leisure-time physical activity and mortality from influenza and pneumonia).

31. Improves subjective sleep quality (Sleep Health and Habits + A cross-sectional study to examine the association between self-reported sleep and the frequency, duration and intensity of exercise), insomnia (Effect of acute physical exercise on patients with chronic primary insomnia + Aerobic exercise improves self-reported sleep and quality of life in older adults with insomnia), and sleep apnoea (A Basic Guide to Sleep Apnea + Lifestyle Intervention with Weight Reduction | First-line Treatment in Mild Obstructive Sleep Apnea + Effects of aerobic exercise and resistance training on obstructive sleep apnea).

32. A significant part of the prevention and management of Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis (Exercise training guidelines for multiple sclerosis, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease  + Dosage and Effectiveness of Aerobic Training on Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Functional Capacity, Balance, and Fatigue in People With Multiple Sclerosis + Exercise as a Therapeutic Intervention in Multiple Sclerosis). Improves the tolerance of daily activities for those affected by spinal cord injuries (Effect of Exercise on Mental Health and Health-related Quality of Life in Adults With Spinal Cord Injury).

33. Regular weight-bearing aerobic exercise, and especially sports, due to their numerous changes-of-direction, place good stress on your bones and help maintain bone mass as you age (Bone mineral density in female high school athletes: interactions of menstrual function and type of mechanical loading). This is especially true for post-menopausal women. However, think of strength and jump training to increase your bone density at any age. Walking (which does very little) has less effect on bone health than jogging, which has less effect than jumping exercises (Effects of walking on the preservation of bone mineral density in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women).

34. Improved fertility rates in both sexes (Physical activity and fertility + Barriers and enablers to a healthy lifestyle in people with infertility).

35. Improved tolerance to the birthing process. Reduced rates of gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclampsia, and weight gain during pregnancy (The Role of Physical Activity in Preconception, Pregnancy and Postpartum Health). Also, improves the health of your future children (Evidence-based physical activity guidelines for pregnant women +  Morphometric and neurodevelopmental outcome at age five years of the offspring of women who continued to exercise regularly throughout pregnancy+ Infant lung function and maternal physical activity in the first half of pregnancy).

36. Improves skin health (Exercise in dermatology: Exercise's influence on skin aging, skin cancer, psoriasis, venous ulcers, and androgenetic alopecia). Also, prevents Vitamin D reduction during winter months with less daily sun exposure (Exercise without Weight Loss Prevents Seasonal Decline in Vitamin D Metabolites).

37. It is helpful in the prevention and management of liver disease, which is the 11th most common cause of death globally. Maintaining or increasing physical activity provides health benefits for patients with liver disease, independent of weight changes (Effect of High-intensity Interval Training vs Moderate-intensity Continuous Training on Liver Fat + Does aerobic exercise reduce NASH and liver fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?).

38. Improves gut health-related conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (Physical activity for irritable bowel syndrome) and diverticulitis (Physical activity decreases diverticular complications).

39. Improves lung health to prevent and manage the consequences of lung conditions such as COPD and lung surgery (Physical activity is the strongest predictor of all-cause mortality in patients with COPD), 

40. Reduces the frequency of asthma “attacks”, more optimistically called exacerbations (Asthma and other pulmonary diseases in former elite athletes). After regular exercise, all ages with asthma report fewer exercise-induced asthma attacks and less anxiety in connection with physical exertion. Physical activity also improves exercise capacity, slows the decline in lung function, and improves the quality of life in patients with cystic fibrosis (Physical activity and exercise training in cystic fibrosis | Cochrane Library).

41. Useful in the prevention and management of chronic kidney disease. Increased sedentary behaviour is associated with an increased risk of kidney disease (Intradialytic exercise in end-stage renal disease + Clinical practice guideline for renal rehabilitation).

42. Helpful for reducing the severity of menstrual cramps (Exercise for dysmenorrhoea).

43. Assist in the management of polycystic ovary syndrome (Recommendations From the 2023 International Evidence-based Guideline for the Assessment and Management of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome). 

44. Assist in the management of endometriosis (Recreational physical activity and endometrioma risk). 

45. Reduces the severity and frequency of headaches related to migraines. Regular exercise is essential to the evidence-based migraine management strategies abbreviated to SEEDS or Sleep, Exercise, Eating/nutrition, Diary, and Stress Management (SEEDS for success: Lifestyle management in migraine | Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine + What We Know About Exercise for Migraine - Spotlight on Migraine + How Does Exercise Affect Headaches? | Barbell Medicine). 

46. Improve physical and mental tolerance to stressful work, whether physical or sedentary (office work). Reduced fatigue at work. Also, improves motivation (to help you enjoy your Sunday afternoon more), productivity and reduces yearly sick days at work (Change in work day step counts, wellbeing and job performance in Catalan university employees + Walking Works Wonders: a tailored workplace intervention evaluated over 24 months + Physical activity in the workplace: a cost or a benefit for organizations? + Physical activity and health promotion programs in the workplace + Employers | Active People, Healthy Nation | CDC).

47. Improved lifespan and quality of life for people with Down syndrome (Prospective Associations of Physical Activity and Health-Related Physical Fitness in Adolescents with Down Syndrome). 

48. Improve quality of life for autistic people (The effect of physical activity interventions on youth with autism spectrum disorder + The Effects of Exercise Dose on Stereotypical Behavior in Children with Autism).

49. Improve management of long-term fatigue conditions (Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome). Exercise also reduces the onset of exercise-related cramping. Cramping during exercise is primarily caused by fatigue, rather than dehydration or electrolyte imbalance, as previously thought. Emerging evidence suggests that properly dosed aerobic training improves exercise tolerance and reduces cramping frequency (Muscle Cramping During Exercise: Causes, Solutions, and Questions Remaining + An Evidence-Based Review of the Pathophysiology, Treatment, and Prevention of Exercise-Associated Muscle Cramps). Exercise also improves symptoms and sleep in those living with Restless leg syndrome (Complementary and alternative therapies for restless legs syndrome + Effects of Different Exercise Programs on Symptoms, Sleep, and Quality of Life in Patients with Primary Restless Legs Syndrome).

50. Physical inactivity is a cause of erectile dysfunction, and regular PA is effective at treating erectile dysfunction, partially through assisting weight loss but primarily through improving blood vessel function (Effect of aerobic exercise on erectile function).

Being physically active and engaging in regular aerobic and strength training offers greater promise than any other medical intervention, including nutrition, in reducing the risk of most chronic diseases (Physical Activity Basics and Your Health). To see the benefits listed, you're encouraged to be as aerobically fit as possible (Cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index and mortality) while meeting the Australian Physical Activity Recommendation of completing up to 150-300 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. You will see significant benefits before this point, so aim to reach this amount over time; however, less is still beneficial for your health. It's kind of like saying that brushing your teeth for 10 seconds is better than nothing, but not as effective as brushing for over 2 minutes.  Most studies show a dose-dependent relationship between the amount of physical activity and aerobic fitness, with health benefits evident up to around 150-300 minutes of weekly activity. More = better, but after about 300 minutes, the rate of improvement slows down. Therefore, the most significant rate of health improvement effects is observed in individuals who previously engaged in minimal exercise per week and subsequently began participating in moderate exercise (Dose-response associations between accelerometry measured physical activity and sedentary time and all cause mortality). This should be encouraging for those who are not currently exercising; initial doses of exercise have very large positive health effects compared to those who are already regularly active (Application of Exercise Snacks across Youth, Adult and Clinical Populations). Additionally, weekend warriors who complete all their exercises across 1-2 days of the week still experience significant reductions in lifestyle-related disease risk.

Whether you come to Method Health for health or performance benefits, just like strength training, aerobic training —whether inside or outside the gym — is a must. No one is “too old to exercise”. Regular exercise expands your “health span” and slows down physiological aging. Sorry, aerobic training doesn’t affect chronological age, but its numerous benefits can help you live longer by improving your physiological age. Invest in your health, just as saving money is never too late to start, aerobic training, including running, is also beneficial. Share this article with those you think will benefit from learning about or starting. Let us know what benefit of aerobic training you want to hear more about in future posts.