Aerobic and anaerobic exercise: differences

The physical exercise It is essential to enjoy good health, not only to maintain an adequate weight, but to prevent the emergence of a wide variety of diseases or pathologies related to sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise.

Between the Benefits of practicing exercise more important we find that it decreases the figures of blood pressure, high cholesterol and high triglycerides, while it benefits both the locomotor system and the cardiorespiratory system.

Not to mention that it is a good de-stressing, so it is recommended in turn to relax and unload adrenaline.

But depending on our objective (if we want to lose weight, maintain it or gain muscle), it is always useful to discover the Differences between aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. And we must not forget something fundamental: the anaerobic it is different aerobic, so that choosing between one or the other will depend on our objectives. Of course, as many specialists advise, it is best to combine them.

Main differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercises

Obviously, not only we are faced with different types of exercise; or, what is the same, before completely different physical activities. Actually, they are concepts that directly refer to the way in which our body gets the energy.

This means that if physical exercise requires oxygen for its realization, we will find ourselves before a type of aerobic exercise. While if you do not need oxygen to carry it out because it ultimately requires more strength, it will be an anaerobic exercise.

What is aerobic exercise?

The Aerobic exercises are those exercises of medium or low intensity but that have a more or less long duration. That is to say, they are physical exercises that require a much longer period of time, but less intensity. Your objective is clear: get more resistance.

These exercises are indicated when our body needs to burn fat and carbohydrates for energy. And this could not be achieved if I did not have oxygen.

For this reason, some aerobic exercises are the following: running, walking, cycling, swimming ... They are the most suitable for both control and weight loss, being recommended in weight loss diets.

To calculate its intensity it is necessary to measure the heart rate per minute. Thus, the NPM (maximum number of beats per minute) considered safe for a healthy heart is calculated using a constant of 210 for women and 220 for men, subtracting the age of the person. For example, in the case of a 35-year-old woman, it is considered that her NPM would be 175 (210-35).

Some of the benefits of aerobic exercise:

It helps to reduce body fat and therefore to lose weight.
Improve our lung capacity.
It helps lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, while improving HDL cholesterol.
Improves cardiovascular function, facilitating blood circulation and oxygenation of the body.
It helps us improve our mood.
Increase calcium absorption levels.

What is anaerobic exercise?

Unlike aerobic exercise, The anaerobic exercise is one of high intensity, but it has a short duration. When not so much oxygen is needed, the energy comes from immediate sources, which do not need to be oxidized, as for example is the case of glucose.

These exercises, for example, include the strengthening and toning of the musculoskeletal system, meeting with weightlifting or speed racing, among others.

That is, it is a type of physical activity in which the energy exchange that takes place in the muscles is done without oxygen. For this reason, anaerobic exercise is not very suitable for weight loss, by not using fatty acids that do need oxygen for their metabolism.

Some benefits of anaerobic exercise: