Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise refers to exercise that involves or improves oxygen consumption by the body. Aerobic means "with oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen in the body's metabolic or energy-generating process.

Many types of exercise are aerobic, and by definition are performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time. Some examples include running a long distance at a moderate pace, walking, swimming, etc.

Some of the recognized benefits of doing regular aerobic exercise are:

• Strengthening the muscles involved in respiration, to facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs.
• Strengthening and enlarging the heart muscle, to improve its pumping efficiency and reduce the resting heart rate.
• Toning muscles throughout the body.
• Improving circulation efficiency and reducing blood pressure.
• Increasing the total number of red blood cells in the body, facilitating transport of oxygen.
• Improved mental health, including reducing stress and lowering the incidence of depression.

As a result, aerobic exercise can reduce the risk of death due to cardiovascular problems. In addition, high-impact aerobic activities (such as jogging or jumping rope) can stimulate bone growth, as well as reducing the risk of osteoporosis for both men and women. In addition to the health benefits of aerobic exercise, there are numerous performance benefits:

• Increased storage of energy molecules such as fats and carbohydrates within the muscles, allowing for increased endurance.
• Increasing speed at which aerobic metabolism is activated within muscles, allowing a greater portion of energy for intense exercise to be generated aerobically.
• Improving the ability of muscles to use fats during exercise, preserving intramuscular glycogen.
• Enhancing the speed at which muscles recover from high intensity exercise.