A perfect body is liked by all but only few people actually have it. "Get in shape" is the thought which most of us have in our mind but do nothing much in attaining it. Whenever some important event happens like a party, a wedding or going for vacation we all want to look at our best and then we realize that it is important to "Get in Shape." It is then that we look for a short cut and often land up dieting which actually is a very wrong approach.

We all are aware of this popular saying that "Rome was not build in a day." The same goes with our body. A good body cannot be build in a day - it needs to be developed and build gradually. It requires a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle includes following a routine, having a balanced diet, avoiding too much of junk food; exercising regularly and having time for leisure and recreation.

Aerobic exercise forms an integral part of a fitness program and helps you to "get in shape." It should be performed at least three or four times a week for 30 minutes or more. The main aim of aerobic exercise is increasing heart rate, strengthening the capacity of lungs and increasing the amount of oxygen that reaches our blood.   Adding aerobic exercise to our fitness program helps to improve the overall health of our body.

Running, walking, dancing, cycling, jumping rope, climbing up the stairs,are some of the physical activities which one can do to exercise ones body and there are all forms of aerobic exercise. No two bodies are the same so one must take his own decision as to what one must do depending on his/her body type, interests, likes and dislikes. Walking is the easiest and the least stressful of all exercises so it is the best beginners exercise. Running is strenuous but very effective. Cycling is an efficient exercise. It is easy to just pedal but you need to do variations like cycling up the hill which requires more effort. Aerobics exercise are usually performed with music on and is a group activity. Aerobic dance makes your body very flexible with the various steps and is also one you can enjoy. It is fun for one who loves dancing - it gives you an opportunity to enjoy dancing and at the same time it exercises your body thoroughly.

It is more popular among young children and housewives because it is entertaining. Water aerobics is also gaining wide popularity these days. Water aerobics is doing aerobic exercise in shallow water such as swimming pool. It is also known as aquafit or aqua aerobics. The risk of injuring the muscle or joint is less in water aerobics. Another big advantage of water aerobics is that it can be easily performed by all as it is less stressful.

To sum up regular aerobic exercise helps in avoiding ailments such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, depression and even cancer. An aerobic exercise also helps in lowering blood pressure, building strong bones, improving muscle strength and thus "get in Shape."