The respiratory and circulatory systems take in oxygen and pump blood throughout the body, respectively. These systems work in tandem to supply the muscles with oxygenated blood. Your ability to do day-to-day activities, as well as athletic events, depends on your aerobic fitness level.
Identification
Aerobic fitness is the ability you have to exercise for an extended period of time. This is also commonly referred to as aerobic capacity or cardiovascular endurance. During aerobic activity, you use oxygen to break down fat and carbohydrates for energy. To increase aerobic fitness, you must perform aerobic exercise, which is also known as cardiovascular exercise.
Types
Aerobic training varies greatly from strength training. Strength training involves lifting maximal weights for a short amount of time. This is often referred to as anaerobic training. Aerobic training involves moving the body for an extended period of time with little resistance. This in turn raises your heart rate and causes you to sweat, according to the Texas Heart Institute. Brisk walking, hiking, running, elliptical training, stair climbing, rowing and kickboxing are examples of aerobic exercise.
Time Frame
To increase aerobic fitness, the type of exercise you choose is not important. The main thing you need to concern yourself with is the duration. For an exercise to be categorized as aerobic, you need to do it for at least 12 minutes. This is a good starting point if you are new to exercise. As you work out, gradually increase your duration to get the best results. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of physical activity five days a week to reduce disease risk, and 60 to 90 minutes five days a week for weight loss.
Considerations
Aerobic fitness can be increased through a single long bout of exercise, or you can break your sessions into smaller bouts and perform them throughout the day. You also do not need to perform the same activity to achieve benefits. For example, if you run, ride a bike and perform stair stepping on different days or on the same day, you will still get the same aerobic workout. The only exception is if you are training for a specific event. In this case, you want to perform a type of exercise that is specific to that event. For example, if you are training for a 5K run, choose running for your aerobic exercise instead of biking.
Benefits
Aerobic exercise not only improves your aerobic fitness, but it also comes with other benefits to the body. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, regular physical activity helps strengthen your bones and muscles, reduces your risk of some cancers, controls your weight and improves your mental health.
0 Comments