Examples
of
AEROBIC EXERCISE
for cardio fitness & weight loss
Let’s
get straight to the point and list some examples of aerobic
exercise. The biggest point to remember though, is that the
examples below are only ‘aerobic’ if they are kept at a constant pace
i.e. for more than 2-3 mins. I’ll explain below. Here are
some examples:
- Jogging/running
- Cycling
- Swimming
- Walking
- Hiking
- Kayaking
- Skipping
- Rowing
- Golf
- Mowing the lawn
And the examples of aerobic exercise list goes on...
You see, in the simplest
terms I can put it without going in to a long winded scientific
explanation, aerobic exercise implies that you are using oxygen for
energy. When you are jogging or cycling at a constant pace
for say, 5, 10, 30 minutes or more you will be using the aerobic energy
system. When you increase the pace of the activity, energy needs
to be available quicker. You start breathing more in order to
obtain more oxygen to get to your working muscles for energy. As
you increase the activity to a pace you cannot sustain (generally
around 70-80% of you maximum pace), the energy needs to be supplied so
quickly that you cannot obtain it via the aerobic system. You
have reached your threshold. Instead it comes from stored energy
in your muscles. And the stored energy in your muscles is of
limited supply!
That
right there, is why you can go flat out in a 100m sprint at a fast pace
but cannot sustain that pace. Stored energy provides a quicker
supply, allowing you to go faster, but is limited because the by
product of that energy source is lactic acid… you know that burning
uncomfortable feeling you get which prevents you from doing any
more! Aerobic energy takes longer to produce actual energy, which
means you can’t go as quickly, but is much more abundant in
supply.
So
really, the examples of aerobic exercise that I have mentioned above
can also be ‘non aerobic’ (or anaerobic) if you increase the pace to
the point you cannot sustain.
Aerobic
exercise is the best form of exercise for improving cardiovascular
fitness obviously because you heart is the one pumping oxygen around
your body!
Aerobic exercise is also of major importance for losing excess fat as long as it is accompanied by sound eating habits
which keep your calorie intake below your maintenance level so you can
tap in to stored body fat for use in the aerobic system. For a
step by step guide on how to lose fat please click here.
You can also click here to help if you are having trouble figuring out what might be the best examples of aerobic exercise for you.
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