Aerobic activities make you breathe harder and make your heart and blood vessels healthier. These include:
Walking
Dancing
Swimming
Water aerobics
Jogging and running
Aerobic exercise classes
Bicycle riding (stationary or on a path)
Some gardening activities, such as raking and pushing a lawn mower
Tennis
Golfing (without a cart)
Muscle-strengthening activities build up your strength. These activities work all the different parts of the body—legs, hips, back, chest, stomach, shoulders, and arms—and include:
Heavy gardening (digging, shoveling)
Lifting weights
Push-ups on the floor or against the wall
Sit-ups
Working with resistance bands (long, wide rubber strips that stretch)
Pilates
Flexibility-enhancing activities ensure a good range of motion in the joints. Loss of flexibility can be a predisposing factor for physical issues, such as pain syndromes or balance disorders. Gender, age, and genetics may all influence range of motion. Flexibility exercises include:
Stretching
Yoga
Tai Chi or Qi Gong
Pilates