Benefits of Aerobic Exercise
Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease and hypertension Reduces LDL (bad cholesterol) while increasing HDL (good cholesterol). May reduce certain types of cancer including breast and colon. Decreases blood pressure in people either with or without hypertension.
Enhances insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance, both of which help keep diabetes under control. Improves psychological well-being, energy levels, and moods. Enhances sexual function in men and women.
In short, aerobic exercise reduces pain and improves many problems which are associated with having a sedentary lifestyle. Aerobic exercise has been shown to be one of the best treatments for depression, stress and anxiety. This is because it causes neurogenesis, releases endorphins, and regulates serotonin levels in the body all of which have an effect on our moods.
“It just makes you feel good”, is a phrase often used by people who partake in a regular aerobic exercise about their reasons why they do it. However, there is a scientific explanation as to why this happens…
Aerobic exercise uses oxygen during strenuous activity that can make your muscles burn and your lungs work hard. Oxygen stimulates throughout the body releasing chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins act as natural painkillers and feelings of euphoria are often associated with this chemical release.
Aerobic exercise can also change the levels of neurotransmitters in our bodies which helps regulate moods. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, glutamate, and GABA affect us emotionally by making us feel happier or depressed depending on their balance within the body.
Serotonin is known to improve our mood by acting upon dopamine pathways that manage how we process emotions. Aerobic exercise enhances our body’s ability to produce these neurotransmitters which make us feel more positive about ourselves and life in general!
Aerobic activity not only reduces stress but also boosts energy levels because it tension from muscle groups throughout the entire body. As a result, our muscles are able to relax more easily when we are done exercising.
10 benefits of aerobic exercise:
1. Aerobic exercise is good for the heart.
2. Helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
3. Improves energy levels throughout the day, including mental energy.
4. Boosts your immune system by increasing blood flow through your lymphatic system to strengthen it against disease-causing germs or cancer cells that are often generated in lymph nodes throughout the body.
5. Aerobic exercise can help you build muscle, but it’s better at burning fat! It can also make you look much leaner! 6. Improves circulation, leading to smooth skin with fewer blemishes or cellulite deposits.
7. Reduces stiffness of muscles resulting from arthritis due to increased lubrication between joints.
8. Helps to boost your metabolism throughout the day!
9. Improves the health of your heart, lungs, and brain. It also helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of stroke or heart attack.
10. Improves your mood while you’re doing it – especially if you do it outside in Nature, with appropriate music made just for walking, running, or cycling! You will be more energized when done regularly if you do aerobic exercise outdoors in Nature!
Types of aerobic exercise:
1. Yoga
2. Aerobics classes
3. Cycling
4. Swimming (in a pool or the ocean)
5. Stair climbing at home or work
6. Running outside or on a treadmill (not an elliptical, though these are okay too!) Here are some good running shoes.
7. Jumping rope Find some inexpensive jump ropes here! 8. Dancing – All forms of dancing are great for aerobic exercise, including ballroom dancing, square dancing, salsa or other Latin dances, country two-step… any form of “line” dancing & line dancing is especially fun to do with others!
Aerobic vs anaerobic exercise:
Aerobic exercise is cardiovascular in nature. It gets the heart pumping harder and faster, but not to the point of exhaustion. This type of exercise continues for an extended period of time – sometimes for 30 minutes or more – and demands a high level of oxygen consumption from your body in order to produce energy.
Anaerobic exercise is strength training or sprinting in nature, which has a very different effect on the body. Anaerobic exercise does not require an intake of additional oxygen beyond what would normally be needed for a given activity.
Benefits of anaerobic exercise:
Build muscle tone, especially around the core area for improved posture.
Can improve flexibility, at least temporarily – this is because stretching your muscles after they have been contracted hard will promote better circulation up to 48 hours later! However, the initial stages of strength training are where you see most of your gains!
Helps to burn calories through the build-up of lactic acid in muscles being used during strenuous activity… so it may not “burn” as many calories per minute as aerobic exercise does, but over time this effect can lead to increased fat loss in a shorter amount of time – especially if coupled with a reduced-calorie diet!
Helps to reduce the accumulation of lactic acid in muscles during activity, meaning that you can keep going longer and longer without getting that “burn” sensation in your muscles! This means it is useful for building endurance for sports performance or just working towards being able to walk, jog, run… even swim further before needing a break.
Can be very good for building confidence through developing better coordination and more strength & stamina.
Aerobic exercise at home:
Aerobic exercise at home is one of the most inexpensive, convenient, and safest ways to get started with your health & fitness program!
You don’t need any equipment at all to do an aerobic workout. You will probably be able to find or borrow whatever you’ll need somewhere in or around your house – whether that’s a jump rope for jumping rope, some old sneakers for running in place (jumping jacks), etc. If you want to buy some equipment, it’s wise to invest in quality exercise clothes (shoes & bras) and good socks.
Some aerobic exercises that you can do at home include walking, running, jogging, jump-roping (with or without a partner), boxing (shadowboxing like Muhammad Ali used to practice – punching the air while imagining your opponent in front of you!), sit-ups & push-ups.
Benefits of aerobic exercise for weight loss:
Aerobic exercise is very important for fat burning and weight loss. It increases the metabolic rate which helps to burn more calories during day time. It also increases energy levels, the strength of heart muscles, reduces cardiovascular diseases like hypertension (high blood pressure).
Aerobic exercises like cycling help to lose belly fat faster than any other form of exercise especially if daily 30 minutes session is done with the utmost regularity. This type of exercise includes normal body movements where oxygen intake is at its highest level.
Since this type of exercise involves large muscle groups it results in increased digestive enzymes digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down food so that nutrients can be used by cells throughout your body, thus increasing chances of weight loss. Additionally, aerobic exercise also helps to reduce stress and cortisol levels which in turn helps you maintain your weight.
It is very good for health and mind. As recent studies conducted by cardiologists at Mayo Clinic found that “Aerobic activities such as biking or jogging can increase blood flow to the brain which trigger new neuron formation that may play a protective role against age-related cognitive decline”. Therefore, it will be a great idea to maintain your body with healthy lifestyle habits of aerobic exercises for better health and longevity at old age.
Aerobic exercises help counteract metabolic disorders like high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, obesity, etc.
It increases one’s stamina and energy level throughout the day which is very important for busy professionals to increase productivity. Ingredients for this type of exercise help in burning fat, increasing metabolic rate, and reducing stress hormones like cortisol. However, it should be noted that aerobic exercises are not an easy task where you can perform them at home without planning or expert supervision.
Aerobic exercises help in building lean muscles mass & strength compared to any other form of physical fitness routine. It boosts your metabolism even after you stop doing this workout because it helps to boost the body’s ability to burn calories efficiently. Therefore you get less hungry after performing daily 30 min sessions of aerobic exercise thus resulting in weight loss.
Benefits of aerobic exercise on mental health:
A recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry discovered that aerobic exercise can help reduce certain symptoms of dementia which is commonly known as brain aging disorder. According to the research physical activities like walking, cycling, and swimming can help prevent declines in cognitive performance associated with aging.
Aerobic exercises also help to maintain strong bones by building lean muscles mass & strength compared to any other form of physical fitness routine. It boosts your metabolism even after you stop doing this workout because it helps to boost the body’s ability to burn calories efficiently. Therefore you get less hungry after performing daily 30 min sessions of aerobic exercise thus resulting in weight loss.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that among different forms of cardio exercises, aerobic exercises are most effective to improve mood swings. Aerobic exercises may help lower the incidence of depression in older adults by improving physical health.
According to a study published in the journal Psychiatry Research, regular physical activity can be used as an alternative or adjunct to medication for major depressive disorder (MDD).
This form of exercise has been shown to promote neurogenesis which is closely associated with faster cognitive processing and greater neuronal survival which results in improved memory & learning abilities. This type of exercise also triggers neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine that regulates your appetite & sleep causing less stress & anxiety.