Aerobic exercise is any type of cardiovascular conditioning. It can include activities like brisk walking, swimming, running, or cycling. You probably know it as “cardio.”
By definition, aerobic exercise means “with oxygen.” Your breathing and heart rate will increase during aerobic activities. Aerobic exercise helps keep your heart, lungs, and circulatory system healthy.
To put it simply, aerobic exercise pertains to a host of workouts that can pump up your breathing and heart rates. You can call them cardio as well. There are numerous benefits of aerobic exercise - brisk walking, running, swimming and cycling are some of its more popular and simpler forms. Basically, such forms of aerobic exercise will keep your heart, lungs and circulatory system in the pink of health. What’s more, if you do them regularly, you can shed a few extra kilos.
Now that the lockdown rules are being relaxed, if you are planning to embark on any of the activities mentioned above, you need to follow certain basic dos and don'ts. For instance, start early morning, when there’s absolutely no crowd on the streets. Keep face masks handy. If you have some space indoors (such as a jogging track within your residential complex), use it.
Before you get going, here’s a lowdown on how aerobic exercise can help you stay fighting fit:
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1. Can Brisk Walking Be An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
2. Is Running An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
3. Is Swimming An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
4. Can Cycling Be An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
5. FAQs: All About Aerobic Exercise
1. Can Brisk Walking Be An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
Brisk walking is considered a good aerobic or cardio exercise. For its countless benefits, brisk walking is always recommended by fitness experts. You do not need high-tech equipment for this, just put on a pair of good trainers.
According to The Stroke Association, a brisk 30-minute walk every day helps you control high blood pressure and reduces stroke risks by 27 per cent. In fact, several studies from around the globe show how brisk walking can make you fitter and healthier. Take a study by researchers from the University of Virginia, which showed that women who did three shorter, fast-paced walks a week (plus two longer, moderate-paced ones) lost five times more belly fat than those who simply strolled at a moderate speed five days a week.
Brisk walking can also increase your metabolic rate. To elaborate on this point, walking faster can trick your body into tapping into the fat reserves for energy. In the process, you build muscles and raise your basal metabolic rate which in turn facilitates the burning of more and more calories.
The bottom line: Brisk walking is a great form of aerobic exercise that should be part of your weight loss strategy.
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Here are are some expert-backed brisk walking tips:
- Start with 20-minute walking sessions at least three times a week.
- Keep your face mask handy, while you go out for a brisk walk.
- A brisk walk on empty streets early morning.
- Fix the distance or time, depending on the state of your fitness. Focus on speed.
- Go for wearable tech that can monitor your steps and keep you motivated.
- Get a walking buddy, for some extra motivation.
Tip: You can add some resistance. For instance, you can carry a heavy backpack. This is just to make you work out more.
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2. Is Running An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
It can be an excellent form of aerobic exercise. Running can yield brilliant results, insofar as reducing fat in the lower half of our body is concerned. Among other things, running can help strengthen quadriceps, hamstring, hips, calf and the gluteus maximus muscles. What’s more, experts say running can lift your mood as well. Just make sure you get comfortable shoes for it. But do keep in mind that there are certain risks involved with regard to running. Therefore, do a proper warm-up and have a proper running gear in place.
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Tip: Wear comfortable clothing and shoes while running.
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3. Is Swimming An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
When you swim, all your muscles work. But unlike plyometrics, swimming is one form of aerobic exercise that helps you fit cardio into your wellness routine without putting heavy pressure on your bones, muscles and joints. Because water provides some resistance, swimming can help you build physical strength and improve your cardio abilities. Some studies have suggested that regular swimming can help us increase our lung capacity - who wouldn’t want stronger lungs to ward off a host of diseases?
Tip: Learn aqua aerobics, which can be a more robust form of aerobic exercise.
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4. Can Cycling Be An Effective Form Of Aerobic Exercise?
For an incorrigibly toned lower body, cycling or biking is a fantastic option. Cycling or biking increases muscle endurance in the hamstrings, calves, glutes and quadriceps. Not to mention it hugely improves your cardiovascular health. So if you had been cycling while you were a child, bring the habit back as an adult too. Experts say biking can burn around 400 calories per hour.
Cycling also helps you get sound sleep. Sedentary insomnia patients were once asked by Stanford University School of Medicine researchers to cycle for 20 to 30 minutes each day. The result was that the time required for them to go to sleep was reduced by half, and sleep time also increased manifold.
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Tip: If you want to keep your brain active, start cycling.
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FAQs: All About Aerobic Exercise
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How Long Should We Exercise To Stay Fit?
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of exercise at least five days a week. Whether you walk, swim or cycle, it’s important to choose a type of aerobic exercise you can complete at a moderate intensity, in order to get your heart rate up and to maximise calorie burn.
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What Are Anaerobic Exercises?
These are high-intensity exercises that are done within a short time frame. Basically, when you do anaerobic exercises, your body relies on stored energy sources like glucose, and not on oxygen, to fire itself up. Take sprinting or high-intensity interval training. Basically, it helps you build muscles or strengthen bones.
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