Physical Activity/Aerobic Exercises
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[edit] What is Aerobic Exercise?
Aerobic exercise is generally exercise that is done over a long period of time, typically 20 minutes or more. It is used to tone the body, make it leaner, and improve endurance by keeping the cardiovascular system healthy. Although getting any exercise is healthy, getting at least 20 minutes of sustained aerobic exercise about 3 times a week, along with a good diet, will generally keep a person healthy.
Technically, aerobic exercise is exercise that mainly uses energy from the cells in the muscles of the body doing aerobic respiration. Aerobic respiration of a cell is when the cell uses oxygen to burn energy (aerobic means "requiring air (or oxygen)"), unlike anaerobic respiration where the cell does not use oxygen when it burns energy. Cellular aerobic respiration can potentially be 18 times more efficient than anaerobic respiration, and aerobic respiration produces less toxins in the cell. Because of this, the cell will try to do aerobic respiration whenever it can, but it will do anaerobic respiration to get energy when it lacks oxygen.
Exercises that are less intense but last longer allow the body to give the muscles oxygen as they are using it up, and keep them doing aerobic respiration. More intense exercises use up the oxygen in the cells faster than it can be replaced, so the cells divert to anaerobic respiration to get the energy they need.
cnjvnxcvknxnkvcnvmvncxnvnc==What Happens to the Body During Aerobic Exercise?==
A lot of energy is not used during aerobic exercise, so the body will burn fat by converting it into sugar for the cells to use as energy. If aerobic exercise is sustained for more than 20 minutes, it is especially healthy because the body will continue to burn fat for several hours afterward.
Aerobic exercise requires a lot of oxygen, so many things in the body do change. The heart rate increases, and the volume of blood per heart beat increases, to circulate the oxygen in the blood to the muscles faster, and remove toxins from the cell faster. This increases the blood pressure. To get more oxygen into the bloodstream, and get toxins out, the breathing rate increases, and the lungs expand and contract more.
Lactic acid is produced and will cause a burning sensation in the muscles. The body will try to get oxygen to the muscles as fast as it can, but it is not always able to give the muscles all the oxygen they need. When this happens, the muscles will shift to anaerobic respiration until they can get the oxygen they need. This usually happens during any aerobic workout, if the person is trying to push him or herself. When it does happen, the muscles will produce many toxins that are created during anaerobic respiration, and then the cardiovascular system will try to cleanse those toxins as fast as it can. When the cardiovascular system cannot remove the toxins as fast as they are created, they build up. When a person experiences pain in their muscles because of working out, it is usually because of lactic acid building up (unless the person has pulled a muscle or damaged something).
One good benefit of getting aerobic exercise is the release of endorphins, which are chemicals in the brain that reduce the feeling of pain and make a person feel better. They are sort of like the body's natural pain medicine, and they make a person feel good. Sustained aerobic exercise for a long period of time, like during a marathon, can be euphoric because of endorphins. They are released to reduce the pain a person feels during aerobic exercise.
A person who regularly does aerobic exercise will develop a healthier and stronger body. Their heart will be stronger, and pump more blood per heartbeat, making it more efficient, to handle the increased blood circulation required for aerobic exercise. This will allow the person to have a lower heart rate when resting, and make them feel better. The lung capacity and efficiency at transferring material between the air and the bloodstream will increase to handle the extra oxygen required during aerobic exercise. This will allow the person to breathe less when resting, making them feel better. The arteries, veins, and capillaries will become more efficent to handle the increased blood circulation. The muscles will increase their efficiency and more blood vessels will be created in the muscles. Coordination will increase. The person will feel better because of having more endorphins in their brain. The muscles, bones, organs, and other tissue will become stronger to handle the impact that exercise will give to them. Burning more energy will require eating more, but even if a person eats more, the person can more easily lose fat by working out.
Types of Aerobic Exercises
- Swimming
- Dancing
- Walking
- Running
- Climbing Stairs (sustained for 20 minutes or more)
- Team Sports
- Roller Blading
- Sexual Intercourse
- Rowing
- Chopping Wood (sustained for 20 minutes or more)
- Cross Country Skiing
- Hiking
- Jogging
- Cycling
- Calisthenics
..
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