Aerobic vs. Anaerobic Exercise
- January 30, 2012
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- Fitness Blog
By: Shannon Feck, Personal Trainer
Fitness circles have historically tossed around the term “aerobic” in reference to a form of exercise, specifically cardio exercise. However, “aerobic” actually defines one of the two ways in which our bodies produce energy while exercising, the other way being an “anaerobic” process. The aerobic and anaerobic metabolic processes involve different types of exercise and provide different benefits for our health. In order to maintain a balanced approach to fitness, you should make sure to include both types in your weekly routine.
Definitions
Our bodies produce energy aerobically, which means “with oxygen,” and anaerobically, which means “without oxygen,” during exercise. Aerobic metabolism occurs during endurance-minded exercise and involves slow-twitch muscle fibers. In order to produce energy for this type of activity, our bodies break down carbohydrates “with oxygen.” Once the carbohydrate or glucose supply diminishes, the oxygen in our bodies begins to use stored fat as fuel. Anaerobic metabolism occurs during activities involving short, powerful bursts of speed and utilizes fast-twitch muscle fibers. Different from aerobic metabolism, anaerobic metabolism uses glycogen from blood sugar to fuel our bodies instead of oxygen (www.livestrong.com).
Activities
The aerobic process occurs during activities that moderately raise the heart rate for an extended amount of time ranging anywhere from several minutes to several hours. Some examples of these activities include running, cycling, and swimming. For instance, depending on your fitness level, walking at 4.5mph for 30 minutes would be considered an aerobic activity. The anaerobic process happens when exercise is performed at a high rate of speed for a short period of time followed by a rest period. This type of exercise greatly increases your heart rate and includes things like strength training, weight lifting, and interval training while running, cycling, swimming, etc. For example, pick the quickest pace you can go for 30 seconds on a treadmill then switch to a moderate pace for 2 minutes. Alternating between these speeds in this manner is considered an anaerobic activity.
Benefits
The aerobic and anaerobic metabolic processes provide different, but essential benefits to our health. Exercise focused on the aerobic metabolic process, such as running or biking, increases heart health by lowering blood pressure and your resting heart rate. It also improves circulation and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Activities involving the anaerobic metabolic process, such as strength training, help increase muscle strength and muscle mass, which helps the body to burn calories more effectively. It also improves bone density mass, thus aiding in avoiding fractures. Lastly, studies have shown that engaging in exercise involving both forms helps to improve mental health!
The best approach to your fitness health is a balanced approach that involves both low to moderate intensity and high intensity exercise regimens so that your body engages both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism. Come see us today at the Rittenhouse Women’s Wellness Center so we can help you achieve this balanced approach!