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Exercise Fitness

What Is The Difference Between Anaerobic & Aerobic Exercise

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Exercise is an important part of good health. It can help with weight loss and plays a crucial role in preventing many chronic health conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Regular exercise has also been shown to help with depression and anxiety. There is just something about getting your body moving and your blood pumping. It is what nature intended; as humans, we are supposed to be active. The more active you are, the better you will look and feel – and the healthier you will be.

There are many different types of exercise out there, though. It seems that everyone has “system” or some slick, branded fitness routine that is guaranteed to work. The thing is, the old-fashioned way is best. Cardio, the type of exercise that raises your heartrate and gets your blood pumping is actually categorized by aerobic and anaerobic. Understanding the similarities and differences will help you round out your workout for better results.

What is Aerobic Exercise?

Aerobic exercise involves low to high intensity physical exercise. The movements are oxygen infused, relying on the oxygen to meet the demands of the activity. Typically, exercises that are light to moderate intensity fall under aerobic:

  • Walking
  • Cycling
  • Swimming
  • Rowing
  • Jogging
  • Running

These activities can be performed for longer. In fact, many experts advise that an aerobic exercise workout is better when done for an extended period of time; at least 18 to 20 minutes. For instance, a person can walk on a treadmill for 20 to 30 minutes, then cycle for the same amount of time. This is sufficient for raising the heartrate and increasing metabolism.

Aerobic exercise was first introduced in the 1960s by doctor and Air Force Colonel, Kenneth Cooper. He created the Cooper Institute in 1970, which focused on preventive medicine, centered around education and research. The workout became very popular in the ‘70s and ‘80s as a class workout but over time has expanded to become a significant part of gym workouts all over the world.

What is Anaerobic Exercise?

Anaerobic exercise is high intensity physical exercise. Where aerobic builds endurance, anaerobic is more like a sprint, building power, speed and strength. It increases muscle mass and improves performance. It lasts from several seconds to around 2 minutes. Engaging in physical activity for longer than 2 minutes becomes more aerobic in nature. Types of anaerobic exercise include:

  • Jump rope
  • Cycling sprints
  • Running sprints
  • Swimming sprints
  • Heavy weight training

Anaerobic activities are often interspersed with aerobic activities in interval training for maximum effect.

Levels of Intensity

Aerobic and anaerobic exercise can be combined to create a highly effective workout. It can involve increasing the intensity of an aerobic exercise, or it can mean changing from an aerobic activity to an anaerobic activity.

For instance, you may jog for five minutes, then sprint for two, and jog for five more minutes. Another option is to switch up the activities. Walk on a treadmill for seven minutes, do a cycle sprint for two minutes, row for seven minutes, and jump rope for two minutes. The combinations are endless and you can customize it for your favorite exercises or to accommodate physical limitations.

Health Benefits

Aerobic and anaerobic exercise have been shown to help prevent certain types of cancer, like breast cancer and colon cancer with just 30 to 60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise a day. Exercise has also been shown to prevent osteoporosis, diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and it even improves cognitive function.

Find ways to incorporate some aerobic and anaerobic exercise into your fitness routine at least several times a week. It is how you get healthy, stay healthy, and feel better.

Visit www.ocwc.ca for more health, wellness and fitness tips!

Goals health wellness

How to Set Realistic Goals that’ll Change Your Overall Health

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New Year’s Resolutions made by well-meaning but, unfortunately, less than 10 percent of people who make resolutions feel that they successfully achieve them and only 45 percent last past six months. Self-improvement goals like lose weight, eat healthier, quit smoking, and life improvement rank in the top five more popular resolutions. So, what is that 10 percent doing that makes them successful at achieving their goals? What sets them apart?

SMART Approach to Successful Goals

The SMART approach is a guide for setting realistic goals and attaining them. It is an acronym that outlines a success focused strategy for goal setting:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Accountable
  • Realistic
  • Timeframe

Each step will bring you closer to achieving your goals and improve your health.

Be SPECIFIC about your goals

Vague, ambiguous goals can’t stand up to time and temptation. Get specific.

Say you want to lose weight. How much do you want to lose? How do you plan to accomplish it? What are your reasons for setting this goal? Whatever goal you are setting, ask why and get specific about the details.

Set Goals that are MEASURABLE

If you set a goal that you can’t measure, how will you know when you reach it?

Any goal that you have can be measured in some way. Weight loss is measured in pounds, how your clothes fit, or how many inches you’ve lost. Eating healthy can be measured by what foods you incorporate into your dies, getting the junk food out of your pantry, and finding healthy recipes.

It helps to break your main goal into several smaller, attainable ones. It lets you see success very early and you keep seeing success which spurs your motivation, making you less likely to abandon your efforts.

Hold Yourself ACCOUNTABLE

Accountability is a great motivator for helping you stick to your goals. Keeping a journal has long been a great way to keep yourself accountable, but there are many website and software programs that you can use to track your efforts that may prove to be even more effective.

Partnering up with a buddy is also a great strategy. Choosing someone who has a goal similar to yours allows you to hold each other accountable. Plus, success is always better when you can share it with a friend.

Keep Your Goals REALISTIC

Unrealistic or unattainable goals are motivation killers. Even goals that are too difficult or require high pressure effort over a long period of time can be difficult to stick to.

As you sit down to set your goals, think about not only what you want to achieve, but what that looks like in your life. In other words, consider your personality and lifestyle, structuring your goals to accommodate those factors.

If your goal is to lose weight, setting a goal of 30 pounds in 30 days is not only unrealistic, but unhealthy. On the other hand, setting a 2 pound per week loss is a goal that you will likely find to be much easier.

Set a TIMEFRAME, but Keep it Flexible

Creating a timeframe for meeting your goals gives your efforts structure which helps to keep you motivated. Make sure your timeframes are realistic; give yourself enough time.

If the constraints are too tight you could find that you veer off the path and even lose sight of your goals. Stay flexible, though. If you don’t reach a goal within a given timeframe, don’t be afraid to move it a little.

As long as you are moving forward, toward your goal you don’t need to limit yourself just because you didn’t complete it within the time you originally allotted. It’s about meeting your goals and making lasting changes that will affect your overall health for the better. Cut yourself some slack.