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What is aerobic exercise?
Aerobic exercise is a physical activity that uses large muscle groups in your body. This type of exercise is usually rhythmic and repetitive. You can adjust the intensity of your workout, which is how hard your body works during this type of exercise.
Aerobic exercises increase your heart rate and how much oxygen your body uses. The term aerobic means “with oxygen.” When you practice aerobic exercise, your breathing controls the amount of oxygen that reaches your muscles to help you burn energy and move.
What is the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercises?
Aerobic and anaerobic are terms that define how your body produces energy.
Aerobic means “with oxygen.” When you participate in a continuous activity that increases your heart rate, your cells use oxygen to produce energy. An example of aerobic exercise is walking.
Anaerobic means “without oxygen.” When you engage in a quick, high-intensity activity, your cells aren’t using oxygen to produce energy. An example of an anaerobic exercise is lifting weights.
What are examples of aerobic exercises?
There are a lot of different types of aerobic exercises. Some of the most common include:
- Walking or jogging.
- Cycling.
- Cardio equipment.
- Swimming.
Walking or jogging
Walking is one of the simplest and most available aerobic exercises. You can change the intensity to match your fitness level. Jogging is faster than walking but slower than running. Jogging puts more stress on your joints than walking and isn’t recommended if you have an injury. Other than athletic shoes, this activity doesn’t require any special equipment. You can walk almost anywhere: outdoors or indoors (malls, indoor tracks or a treadmill). This makes walking easy to continue throughout the year. Walking is a good choice for starting your first exercise program.
Cycling
Cycling is an aerobic exercise that you can do on a stationary bike or a regular bicycle. You can adjust the intensity of your exercise by choosing a higher setting on your stationary bike or riding on a route with more hills or inclines. Cycling may be ideal if you have arthritis or other conditions that affect your joints. This activity helps your heart without putting too much mechanical stress on your back, hips, knees and ankles that walking can cause. If you cycle outdoors, the weather may limit your activity.
Cardio Equipment
Cardio equipment includes machines that increase your heart rate while you complete a repetitive motion. Some common types of cardio equipment are:
- A rowing machine.
- Stair climbers.
- An elliptical.
- A treadmill.
You can find these types of machines at your local gym or you can add one to your home. They’re usually larger and can take up a lot of space if you choose to get one for at-home use. Since there are a lot of different types of cardio machines, you should try out different ones at a gym or fitness center first. It can take time to see which machine you enjoy most and which one puts less stress on areas of your body where you may have an injury or issue. Your healthcare provider can also recommend what type of cardio machine is best for you.
Swimming
Swimming is a low-impact activity where you use your arms and legs to propel you through the water. The intensity of swimming increases more in open water than it does in a pool. Water aerobics and water walking are good alternatives if you have joint pain. The buoyancy provided by the water eases stress on your joints. If you plan on swimming or participating in water activities, make sure you’re swimming under the supervision of a lifeguard in case of an emergency.
What are the benefits of aerobic exercise?
The benefits of aerobic exercise include:
- Building stronger bones.
- Improving your muscle strength, endurance and flexibility.
- Improving your balance.
- Increasing your mental function.
- Assisting in weight management and/or weight loss.
In addition, aerobic exercise can:
Help to better manage your blood sugar.
Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, hypertension, stroke or diabetes.
Improve your lung function.
Lower your blood pressure.
Increase HDL or “good” cholesterol.