Many of today's popular workout programs have
aerobic exercises as their main element, particularly those designed
for beginners. But are these routines ignoring a critical component,
namely anaerobic exercise? To answer this, you must understand the
difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise as well as the
benefits to be gained from each. At its simplest, it's a matter of a
high intensity workout as compared to a low intensity workout. Most
people are familiar with aerobic varieties, which are the low intensity
cardio programs designed to burn fat; anaerboic is less well-known.
Anaerobic exercise also includes a high intensity portion, such as
strength training or an HIIT program.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise
Aerobic simply translates as "with oxygen"; aerobic exercise means that
oxygen is required to keep the muscles moving for an extended period of
time. The oxygen is the fuel source for burning fat. A typical aerobic
exercise is a low to moderately intense activity that lasts for an
extended time, such as cycling, jogging, swimming or skiing.
Anaerobic, on the other hand, means "without
oxygen"; of course, your body will still need oxygen during anaerobic
exercise but your muscles do not receive enough to keep up the
extremely intense pace. Without the oxygen, your muscles are forced to
burn glycogen, a component of carbohydrates. An anaerobic exercise is
one that is short in duration but very intense and includes such
popular activities as weight lifting and sprinting.
Benefits of Aerobic Exercise
There are several ways you may benefit from aerobic exercise. A daily
30 minute routine of aerobic activity can greatly increase your heart
and lung functions as well as your blood flow, all of which could
contribute to a longer life. Some of the additional benefits include:
1. Weight Reduction
2. Better endurance
3. Enhanced immune system activity
4. Lower risk from such diseases as high blood pressure, type 2
diabetes, stroke and other heart problems and even certain types of
cancer
5. More efficient cardiovascular and circulation system
6. Raise your good cholesterol while reducing your bad cholesterol
Benefits of Anaerobic Exercise
There are many benefits to be gained from anaerobic exercise as well.
You'll enjoy much stronger muscles and a reduced amount of body fat.
Strength training has many of the same health benefits as aerobic
exercises, but will also help you increase your muscle mass and bone
density while you reduce the amount of body fat. Another popular
anaerobic program is called an HIIT routine, which is a series of short
bursts of highly intense activity followed by short periods for
recovery. Such quick bursts of high activity followed by recovery
periods have been shown to increase the metabolism as well as burning
more calories than the low intensity variety. HIIT also has the added
benefit of releasing HGH, which is a trigger for muscle building as
well as fat loss. You'll also enjoy an improved aerobic capacity and
much better cardiovascular system.
Performing Aerobic Training and Anaerobic
Training
Aerobic and anaerobic exercises both have their own special benefits
that will help you lead a healthier life. To gain the maximum benefit,
you should have both as a part of your daily exercise routine. If you
are a beginner, however, you should start with aerobic exercise and
work your way to an anaerobic program. You will not be successful with
your high intensity program unless you have a strong foundation in
aerobic exercise. More advanced work out fans often wonder if they
should favor one variety of exercise over another. For most of these
regular exercisers, aerobic activity often seems far too easy and
doesn't seem to provide any real benefit, especially when compared to
anaerobic exercise. No matter how advanced you are in your programs,
your exercise program should include both, since there are many
significant health benefits to be gained from both the high and low
intensity exercises. Also, you need to avoid performing anaerobic
exercise too often, as that often leads to overtraining or burnout.
If you are trying to decide between an aerobic or
anaerobic routine for your next workout, remember that the only real
difference is a matter of how intense your activity will be. Aerobic
activity is the low, steady exercise that is spread out over a longer
period of time while the anaerobic variety is short bursts of high
activity with small rest periods in between. A regular aerobic routine
of walking or swimming will increase your cardiovascular system as well
as your overall health; anaerobic programs such as weight training or
HIIT help you increase your muscle mass while burning fat at a far more
efficient rate.
About the Author: Dave provides
no-nonsense "best of the best" diet and exercise tips to lose fat and
build lean, defined muscle without spending hours in the gym. There's
no point in using a bodybuilder routine to get a fitness model
physique. These are Not Your Average Fitness Tips.
Read more about aerobic
vs anaerobic exercise and download a FREE copy of Dave's
Fitness in a Flash report to help get a lean, athletic look in no time.
http://
www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Martens
|
