Any exercise is good for your cardiovascular system. Reasonably strenuous aerobic exercise is better, and causes (as many of us now know) a hormone known as endorphins to be released by the pituitary gland.
Endorphins give us the feelings of well being and even euphoria, and can mask pain and discomfort that might come with the activity that brought them. The feelings can last from 20 minutes to 24 hours post-exercise, and endorphins are themselves truly a natural stress and pain reliever, and nature’s way of helping us deal with stress. They also enhance our immune system, have an anti-ageing effect, help us relax and find calmness, improve creativity and happiness, and, with the effect of the exercise itself, help improve memory.
Not a bad deal, really. Strenuous aerobic exercise is activity that raises your heart rate to over 60% of its maximum for periods of 15 minutes to an hour at a time. As a practical guide, your maximum heart rate is 220 less your age, so a 55-year old has a 60% rate of (220-55)*0.6=99 beats per minute. Treadmills, exercycles, rowing machines, cross trainers and plain brisk walking will do it. See Cardiovascular Execise Intensity for more details.
Find something you enjoy that releases those endorphins!
