High-Intensity Interval Training One of the best ways to increase your aerobic fitness is through high-intensity interval training or HIIT. During these workouts, you alternate between aerobic (slow and steady) and anaerobic (short, fast and intense) exercise. Like endurance training, interval training makes your heart more efficient, increasing the amount of blood it can pump, providing your body with more oxygen. Great for people with busy schedules, HIIT workouts can produce the same results as slow and steady aerobic workouts like jogging in half the time. You can transform any type of cardio into a HIIT workout by working and resting for equal periods of time during the workout. For example, swim in cycles of 30 second sprints and rests. Perform HIIT workouts 2 to 3 times per week. Low-Intensity Steady State Training Easier for some people than HIIT workouts, continuous aerobic workouts involve cardio exercise performed at the same intensity over a longer period of time. For example, jogging, swimming or biking for 45 minutes. These workouts should be completed at less than 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. To calculate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. Because they are less intense, low-intensity steady state workouts can be done 3 to 5 times per week to increase aerobic fitness. Cross Training Cross training refers to fitness routines that incorporate more than one type of exercise. Because different forms of exercise use muscles in different ways, cross training reduces the amount of stress placed on specific muscle groups while still increasing overall aerobic fitness. It’s also a great way to combat the boredom that results from performing the same exercise over and over again. Consider incorporating 2 or 3 of the following types of exercise into your routine: running, swimming, cycling, rowing, jumping rope, stair climbing, skiing, basketball or racquetball. Aerobic Dance Classes Dance classes are one of the most fun ways to improve aerobic fitness. Moving your body to music allows your mind to relax while you work your heart and other muscles. Like HIIT, dancing often mixes aerobic and anaerobic exercise, thereby increasing the efficiency of your heart. Remember, aerobic exercise must be sustained for at least 20 minutes in order for improvement to occur.