Aerobic exercise is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. According to Kids Health, aerobic means "with air," so any form of exercise that increases your oxygen consumption can be defined as aerobic. In aerobic exercise, your breath rate increases, your heart rate speeds up and you start to sweat as a result of your increased exertion. In the other kind of exercise -- anaerobic -- your body doesn't use oxygen, although the overall result is a more efficient use of oxygen via a healthier body.
Aerobic Exercise
Aerobic exercise is any activity that causes an increase in activity in your respiratory and circulatory systems. When you exercise aerobically, you activate the large muscles in your body, such as those in your legs, arms, hips and core. This causes you to breathe faster, deeper and more intensely. According to MayoClinic.com, blood flows more quickly from your muscles back to your lungs during aerobic exercise. Capillaries, which are smaller blood vessels, widen and open to help carry waste products such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid away from your muscles, and they increase the flow of oxygen to your muscles. If you experience muscle cramps or side stitches when you exercise, it may be due to the fact that you're not breathing effectively or fast enough. Cramps and side stitches result from a lack of oxygen and a buildup of carbon dioxide and lactic acid in your muscles.
Types of Aerobic Exercise
Any activity that increases your heart rate, oxygen consumption and circulation can be classified as aerobic. Running, walking, swimming, rollerblading, dancing, jumping rope, kickboxing, martial arts and many other types of cardiovascular activity are forms of aerobic exercise. According to MayoClinic.com, most people should aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily. If you have a health condition or haven't exercised in a while, start slowly and work your way up to this level.
Anaerobic Exercise
According to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the term "anaerobic" translates to "without oxygen" or "without air." Anaerobic exercise is generally brief and focuses on using your muscles in concentrated, short bursts of effort at a high intensity level. Although anaerobic exercises improve your oxygen system, your body doesn't use oxygen for energy when you do them, which is why you can't perform these activities for long periods. Your body produces an excess of lactic acid, which causes muscle fatigue, as a byproduct of this short, concentrated effort. You need to get rid of lactic acid through recovery, so rest periods are required after you perform a certain amount of anaerobic exercise.
Types of Anaerobic Exercise
Anaerobic exercise usually involves strength training such as weightlifting, sprinting or jumping. performing abdominal crunches, arm or legs curls, squats, tug-of-war or pushups. Any type of activity in which you concentrate your effort into a specific muscle group for the purposes of increasing strength and your capacity for quick bursts of speed can be classified as anaerobic exercise. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the average, healthy adult younger than 65 should aim to perform eight to 12 repetitions of eight to 10 strength-training exercises twice weekly.
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