Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise has the aim of improving the body's consumption of oxygen. The word aerobic means with oxygen. Aerobic refers to our body's use of oxygen in its metabolic process (energy-generating process). Most aerobic exercises are done at moderate levels of intensity for longer periods, compared to other categories of exercise. An aerobic exercise session involves warming up, exercising for at least 20 minutes, and then cooling down. Aerobic exercise involves mainly the large muscle groups.
A physical therapist, Col Pauline Potts, and an exercise physiologist, Kenneth Cooper M.D., both in the US Air Force, were the first to use the term aerobic exercise during the 1960s. Dr. Cooper wanted to find out why some very strong people were poor at long-distance running, swimming and cycling. He researched people's performance in terms of their ability to use oxygen with the use of abicycle ergometer. In 1968 Dr. Cooper published his book Aerobics. The book included scientific programs using aerobic exercises, such as swimming, running, cycling and walking. The book became a bestseller. All present aerobic programs use Cooper's data as a baseline.
Aerobic exercise is generally performed at a moderate level of intensity over a long period. Running for 20 minutes is an aerobic exercise, while sprinting 200 meters is not. Playing badminton for 30 minutes is an aerobic activity if the movements of the players are fairly continuous. Golf, on the other hand, is not seen as aerobic because the heart rate has not been raised at a sustained level for long enough.
Aerobic exercise is considered to have the following benefits:
Aerobic exercise has the aim of improving the body's consumption of oxygen. The word aerobic means with oxygen. Aerobic refers to our body's use of oxygen in its metabolic process (energy-generating process). Most aerobic exercises are done at moderate levels of intensity for longer periods, compared to other categories of exercise. An aerobic exercise session involves warming up, exercising for at least 20 minutes, and then cooling down. Aerobic exercise involves mainly the large muscle groups.
A physical therapist, Col Pauline Potts, and an exercise physiologist, Kenneth Cooper M.D., both in the US Air Force, were the first to use the term aerobic exercise during the 1960s. Dr. Cooper wanted to find out why some very strong people were poor at long-distance running, swimming and cycling. He researched people's performance in terms of their ability to use oxygen with the use of abicycle ergometer. In 1968 Dr. Cooper published his book Aerobics. The book included scientific programs using aerobic exercises, such as swimming, running, cycling and walking. The book became a bestseller. All present aerobic programs use Cooper's data as a baseline.
Aerobic exercise is generally performed at a moderate level of intensity over a long period. Running for 20 minutes is an aerobic exercise, while sprinting 200 meters is not. Playing badminton for 30 minutes is an aerobic activity if the movements of the players are fairly continuous. Golf, on the other hand, is not seen as aerobic because the heart rate has not been raised at a sustained level for long enough.
Aerobic exercise is considered to have the following benefits:
- Strengthens the muscles that are involved in respiration - exercises that facilitate the flow of air in and out of the lungs.
- Strengthens and enlarges the heart muscle. This improves aerobic conditioning - pumping of blood and the heart rate (lowers the pulse of a person when he/she is resting).
- Tones muscles throughout most of the body.
- Reduces blood pressure.
- Improves circulation.
- Raises the number of red blood cells, which in turn facilitates transportation of oxygen.
- The sleep quality of insomnia patients can improve with moderate exercise, a study found.
- Improves mental health.
- A study found that exercise reduces migraine suffering.
- Reduces the risk of heart disease and cardiovascular problems.
- Helps improve survival rates of patients with cardiovascular diseases significantly, as this study found.
- Stimulates bone growth (high impact aerobic exercise), reduces risk ofosteoporosis.
- Increases stamina or endurance. Aerobic activity increases the body's ability to store energy molecules such as fats and carbohydrates within the muscle.
- Increases blood flow through muscles.
- Improves muscles' ability to use fats during exercise, thus preserving the intramuscular glycogen.
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