Typesofexercise

TYPESOFEXERCISE

Exercisesaregenerallygroupedintothreetypesdependingontheoveralleffecttheyhaveonthehumanbody:
Aerobic exercises, such as cycling, walking, running, hiking, and playing tennis, focus on increasing cardiovascular
endurance.1
l Anaerobicexercises,suchasweighttraining,increaseshorttermmusclestrength.2
l Flexibilityexercises,suchasstretching,improvetherangeofmotionofmusclesandjoints.3
l

Aerobicandanaerobicarethemostcommonlyperformed,sohereisanoverviewoftheirqualities:

Aerobicexercise
Aerobic (or cardiovascular exercise, a term attributed to this kind of exercise because of its various benefits in cardiovascular
health) refers to exercise that involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body.4 Aerobic means "with oxygen", and
refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic5orenergygeneratingprocess.Manytypesofexerciseareaerobic,andby
definition are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time. This intensity can vary from 5080% of
maximumheartrate.Runningalongdistanceatamoderatepaceisanaerobicexercise,butsprintingisnot.Playingtennis,with
nearcontinuous motion, is generally considered aerobic activity, while doubles tennis, with their brief bursts of activity
punctuatedbymorefrequentbreaks,maynotbepredominantlyaerobic.
Amongtherecognizedbenefitsofdoingregularaerobicexerciseare:
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Stronger heart: the heart muscle is strengthened and enlarged, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the
restingheartrate.
Increaseofthetotalnumberofredbloodcellsinthebody,tofacilitatetransportofoxygenthroughoutthebody
Improved breathing:themusclesinvolvedinrespirationarestrengthened,tofacilitatetheflowofairinandoutofthe
lungs.
Improved muscle health: Aerobic exercise stimulates the growth of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) in muscles. This
helps our bodies more efficiently deliver oxygen to muscles, can improve overall circulation and reduce blood pressure
andremoveirritatingmetabolicwasteproductssuchaslacticacidfromthemuscles.
Weightloss:Combinedwithahealthydietandappropriatestrengthtraining,aerobicexercisemayhelploseweight.
Disease reduction: Extra weight is a contributing factor to conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure,
stroke, diabetes and some forms of cancer. As weight loss occurs, the risk of developing these diseases decreases. In
addition, weightbearing aerobic exercise, such as walking, can reduce the risk of osteoporosis and its complications.
Lowimpact aerobic exercises, such as swimming, cycling and pool exercises, can help keep fit in those who have
arthritis,withoutputtingexcessivestressonjoints.
Improved immune system: People who exercise regularly are less susceptible to minor viral illnesses such as colds
andflu.Itispossiblethataerobicexercisehelpsactivateyourimmunesystemandpreparesittofightoffinfection.
Improved mental health: Regular aerobic exercise releases endorphins, our bodies natural painkillers. Endorphins
alsoreducestress,depressionandanxiety.
Increased stamina:Exercisemaymakeusfeeltiredintheshortterm,i.e.,duringandrightaftertheactivity,butover
thelongtermitwillincreasestaminaandreducefatigue.

Anaerobicexercise
Anaerobic exercise is the type of exercise that enhances power and builds muscle mass. Muscles trained under anaerobic
conditionsdevelopdifferently,leadingtogreaterperformanceinshortduration,highintensityactivities,whichlastuptoabout2
minutes.6
The most common form of anaerobic exercise is strength exercise. Strength exercise is the use of resistance to muscular
contraction to build the strength, anaerobic endurance and size of skeletal muscles. There are many different methods of
strength training, the most common of which are weight and resistance exercise. These two types of exercise use gravity
(through weight stacks, plates or dumbells) or machines to oppose muscle contraction, and the terms can be used
interchangeably.
When properly performed, strength training can provide significant functional benefits and improvement in overall health and
wellbeing including increased bone, muscle, tendon and ligament strength, toughness and endurance, improved joint function,
reducedpotentialforinjuryresultingfromweakmuscles,improvedcardiacfunctionandelevatedgoodHDLcholesterol.Itcan
alsohelpmaintainleanbodymass(importantforindividualsattemptingweightloss),decreasetheriskofosteoporosis,develop
coordinationandbalance.

AerobicvsAnaerobic
Frequent and regular aerobic exercise has been shown to help prevent or treat serious and lifethreatening chronic conditions
such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression. Strength training appears to

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have continuous energyburning effects that persist for about 24 hours after the training, though they do not offer the same
cardiovascular benefits of aerobic exercises. Both aerobic and anaerobic exercise also work to increase the mechanical
efficiencyoftheheartbyincreasingcardiacvolume(aerobicexercise),ormyocardialthickness(strengthtraining).
Whengeneralizedfitnessisaprofessionaloperationalrequirement,asforathletes,combatservices,policeandfirepersonnel,
aerobic exercise alone may not provide a wellbalanced exercise program. In particular, muscular strength, especially upper
body muscular strength, is usually neglected. Also, the metabolic pathways involved in anaerobic metabolism (glycolysis and
lactic acid fermentation) that generate energy during high intensity, low duration tasks such as sprinting, are not exercised at
peak rates. Aerobic exercise is, however, an extremely valuable component of a balanced exercise program and is good for
cardiovascularhealth.
Aerobics notably does not increase the basal metabolic rate as much as some forms of weighttraining, and may therefore be
less effective at reducing obesity. However, this form of exercise also allows for longer, more frequent activity and consumes
more energy when the individual is active. In addition, the metabolic activity of an individual is heightened for several hours
followingaboutofaerobicactivity.
Not everyone benefits equally from the different types of exercise. There is tremendous variation in individual response to
exercise:wheremostpeoplewillseeamoderateincreaseinendurancefromaerobicexercise,someindividualswillasmuchas
doubletheiroxygenuptake,whileotherswillnevergetanybenefitatallfromtheexercise.7Similarly,onlyaminorityofpeople
willshowsignificantmusclegrowthafterprolongedweighttraining,whilealargerfractionexperienceimprovementsinstrength.8
Thisiswhypeopleshouldexperimentandtrydifferenttypesofphysicalactivity,sothattheycanfindwhattypetheyreallylike
andwhatworksforthem.

Conclusion
The bottom line when undertaking an aerobic or an anaerobic exercise program is that you must be careful and responsible.
Both may provide the type of vigorous workout that you require. So listen to your body and exercise your common sense as
wellasyourmuscles.
Suddenlygoingfrombeingcompletelysedentarytorushingoutforafourmilejogorbeingforcedtodoaschoolsportthatyou
loathedwouldbeenoughtoputanyoneoff.Yetifyoufindaformofactivitythatsuitsyourbodyandtakeitattherightpace,far
fromhurting,workingupasweatstimulatesthereleaseofchemicalsinthebodythatmakeyoufeelgood.Butbeforeyouhead
for the treadmill or put on your trainers for a run round the park, read on, because the benefits of regular exercise don't end
there.

References
1

Wilmore, J., Knuttgen, H. 2003. Aerobic Exercise and Endurance Improving Fitness for Health Benefits. The Physician and
Sportsmedicine,31(5).45.RetrievedOctober5,2006,fromProQuestdatabase.

2 de Vos, N., Singh, N., Ross, D., Stavrinos, T., et al. 2005. Optimal Load for Increasing Muscle Power During Explosive
Resistance Training in Older Adults. The Journals of Gerontology, 60A(5), 638647. Retrieved October 5, 2006, from ProQuest
database.

3 O'Connor, D., Crowe, M., Spinks, W. 2006. Effects of static stretching on leg power during cycling. Turin, 46(1), 5256.
RetrievedOctober5,2006,fromProQuestdatabase.

4
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/aerobic_ylt=AmqtTKeFBRk1W31mkNOeQX2sgMMF.
Accessedon30thJune2008.

5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerobic_organism.Accessedon30thJune2008.

6http://www.asmi.org/sportsmed/Performance/anaerobic.html.Accessedon30thJune2008.

7Bouchard,ClaudePingAn,TrevaRice,JamesS.Skinner,JackH.Wilmore,JacquesGagnon,LouisPerusse,ArthusS.Leon,D.
C.Rao(September1999)."FamilialaggregationofVO(2max)responsetoexercisetraining:resultsfromtheHERITAGEFamily
Study.".JournalofAppliedPhysiology87(3):10031008.PMID10484570.RetrievedonJuly17,2007

8 Hubal, MJ GordishDressmanH,ThompsonPD,PriceTB,HoffmanEP,AngelopoulosTJ,GordonPM,MoynaNM,PescatelloLS,
VisichPS,ZoellerRF,SeipRL,ClarksonPM(June2005)."Variabilityinmusclesizeandstrengthgainafterunilateralresistance
training.".MedicineandScienceinSportsandExercise37(6):964972.PMID15947721.RetrievedonJuly17,2007.
THEBASICS07/2008

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