Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise: Benefits, Examples, and Types
The first stage of any exercise is anaerobic. The muscles trained under anaerobic exercise will develop differently at the biological level, gaining more performance in activities of short duration and high intensity. The lactic acid system is dominant for three minutes but also provides a significant amount of energy for aerobic exercise because the muscles have a certain capacity to dispose of the byproducts of the anaerobic system. This capability can be improved with training. Done properly, weight training can provide significant functional benefits, such as increased muscle tone, increased muscle mass, aid in weight reduction, and improved overall health and wellbeing.
Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic exercise includes lower-intensity activities developed over longer periods, such as walking, running, swimming, and biking. They require a lot of oxygen to generate the energy needed in prolonged exercise.
Initially, during aerobic exercise, glycogen is broken down to produce glucose. However, when food is scarce, the fat starts to decompose. The change of power source to fat is what causes marathon runners to often experience the “wall.” Paradoxically, the most efficient method to lose fat (according to some scientists) is to perform prolonged exercise when hungry and feeling weak.
Benefits of Aerobic Exercise
Because it uses fat as a primary fuel or energy source, together with a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, the benefits of aerobic exercise are obvious:
- Improves cardiovascular function in both healthy people and individuals who have been victims of heart attacks, angina, or have undergone heart surgery, angioplasty, and even in patients with heart failure. It also stimulates the formation of new coronary vessels.
- Reduces body fat and subcutaneous fat in overweight and obese individuals. It also reduces subcutaneous fat located between the muscles. A person who wants to define their muscles must practice aerobic exercise (with a proper diet) so that the muscles look lean and healthy, not bulky and awkward.
- Decreases glucose levels in the blood, which can benefit diabetics.
- Increases the reabsorption of calcium by the bones, strengthening them and reducing the risk of fractures.
- Increases ventricular cavity volume, which represents a decrease in resting heart rate and cardiac output saving.
Among the tests requested by cardiologists is the stress test, which must be made with an electrocardiogram to detect events that precede heart attacks.
Examples of Aerobic Exercise
Swimming
Swimming is a sport consisting of moving in the water without touching the ground, regulated by the International Swimming Federation. There are four swimming strokes used in competition:
- Freestyle
- Backstroke
- Breaststroke
- Butterfly
Swimming became popular in the nineteenth century and is an important event in the Olympics.
Spinning
Spinning, also called indoor cycling, is an aerobic workout performed on a stationary bike to the rhythm of music. It was created in 1992 by the American teacher and cyclist Jonathan Goldberg (“Johnny G.”), who proposed a comprehensive and group exercise. It has many advantages for the body, strengthens the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, reduces cholesterol, and burns about 400 kcal in about 1 hour of exercise. It also strengthens the legs, giving them greater strength. Spinning takes riding a bicycle to another level; it is not a solitary exercise and can be adjusted according to the abilities of those who practice it.
Climbing
Climbing, in mountaineering, is an activity that involves making ascents on steep walls using physical and mental strength. The danger in climbing is considerable due to the heights involved, so it’s essential to use protective equipment.
Types of Climbing
- Outdoor Climbing: Defined by the face of the rock used. It includes climbing the outside and inside of cracks, usually using an indoor climbing rope (not to be confused with indoor climbing).
- Alpine Rock Climbing
- Mixed Climbing (rock and ice)
- Psicobloc: Usually done alone and often illegal in many countries.
- Bouldering: Done on not completely vertical walls that have no holds for feet and hands.
Skiing
Skiing is a sport where the winner is the one who, in the sum of two runs or, at best, one run, accumulates the least amount of time.
Combined: Responds to conducting a speed test (Downhill) and two Slalom runs. Also performed on the same day. As in the short run, there is a big fight at the finish line as the first part of the contenders proclaims the winner.
University “Rómulo Gallegos” San Juan de los Morros, Guarico Edo-Area Medical Health Sciences