The purpose of aerobic training is to improve, at all levels, the efficiency of the body’s oxygen delivery system and the efficiency
with which the muscles produce energy. The benefits of aerobic exercise are considerable and include weight loss, greater fitness levels,
increased life expectancy and enhanced feelings of well-being.
What exactly is aerobic exercise?
Your body is constantly burning up oxygen and food to produce energy. Aerobic exercise refers to exercise that involves or improves
oxygen consumption by the body. Aerobic means ‘with oxygen’, and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating
process. Many types of exercise are aerobic, and by definition are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time.
Achieving a higher level of aerobic fitness can be fun because there are many activities from which to choose. Among the many options are:
- Walking
- Running
- Jogging
- Cycling and mountain biking
- Roller skating
- Spinning
- Aerobics
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Rowing
The aerobic system is best trained by exercising continuously a little below your maximum capacity. For example, if you are running, it
would be at a speed at which you can hold a conversation. In order to achieve a significant improvement in your level of aerobic fitness,
you need to gradually exercise for longer periods of time and maintain a steady increase in the intensity of exercise.
Generally, aerobic exercise involves 5-10 minutes of warming up at an intensity of 50-60% of maximum heart rate, followed by at least
20 minutes of exercise at an intensity of 70-80% of maximum heart rate, ending with 5-10 minutes of cooling down at an intensity of 50-60% of maximum heart rate.
When you're aerobically fit, your body takes in and uses oxygen to sustain movement more efficiently. To do this, your body:
- Takes in more oxygen. You breathe faster and more deeply to maximize the amount of oxygen in your blood stream.
- Pumps blood faster and more forcefully. To produce energy and deliver oxygen more effectively to the rest of your body, your heart beats faster. The force of each beat of your heart increases to maximise blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs.
- Increases the diameter and number of small blood vessels. To get more oxygen to your muscles, small blood vessels (capillaries) dilate and carry away waste products, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Over time, more capillaries will actually develop in the muscle to provide for more efficient oxygen delivery and waste removal.
The benefits of aerobic exercise:
The benefits of doing aerobic exercise are enormous. A major benefit is that it improves heart (cardiovascular) and lung (pulmonary) function by increasing cardiac output (amount of blood pumped every minute) and by increasing stroke volume (amount of blood pumped with each beat). Aerobic activity also decreases the load on the heart and can decrease the resting heart rate. Basically, the fitter you get, the fitter your heart becomes. Aerobic exercise also:
- Decreases blood pressure – it helps lower resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure in people with high blood pressure.
- Improves blood cholesterol by increasing HDL Cholesterol (the good cholesterol) and decreasing blood triglycerides.
- Increases oxygen-carrying haemoglobin in the red blood cells.
- Increases oxygen pick-up in the lungs and therefore increases oxygen delivery to the brain and other organs.
- Improves bone density, which is beneficial in the prevention of osteoporosis
- Increases the body’s ability to cope with physiological stress. Exercise improves mood, reduces depression and anxiety and provides an emotional lift through the release of endorphins in the brain.
- Reduces body fat and can lead to improved weight control (in conjunction with strength training and a proper diet).
- Contributes to improved glucose tolerance and reduced insulin resistance – this decreases the body's insulin requirement and lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Investing just 30 minutes a day in aerobic exercise — such as walking, cycling or swimming — can help you live longer and healthier.
In fact, aerobic exercise may be the magic bullet you've been looking for.