Aerobic & Anaerobic Training Benefits

In the dictionary, aerobic means "with oxygen" and anaerobic means "without oxygen." In the fitness world, these terms describe two distinct styles of exercise that offer very different training results. Fortunately, there's no need to choose. Combine them both into an integrated fitness plan and gain the benefits of each.

  1. History

    • Dr. Kenneth Cooper popularized the term "aerobics" in 1968 when he published his best-selling book of the same name. "Aerobics" became synonymous with sustained, repetitive exercise at a moderate rate of exertion. The movement really took off in the 1980s with Covert Bailey's "Fit or Fat" books and television appearances. Cooper and Bailey believed that aerobic exercise alone was the key to good health and longevity. Millions took up jogging and flocked up to aerobic dance studios. The aerobics culture even entered pop culture with the movie "Perfect," starring John Travolta and Jamie Lee Curtis, and Olivia Newton-John's video for the song "Physical."

      Now we know that both aerobic and anaerobic exercises are part of a well-rounded fitness plan. These days, even Covert Bailey advocates anaerobic speed intervals and resistance exercises along with moderate aerobics.

    Aerobic Exercise

    • Aerobic exercise relies on oxygen for fuel. Any activity that consistently elevates your heart rate to 50 percent to 80 percent of maximum for 20 minutes or more can be aerobic. Jogging, dancing, power walking and swimming are just a few examples. To determine your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are 35 years old, your maximum heart rate is 185. Any activity that keeps your heart rate between 93 and 148 beats per minute is aerobic. Regular aerobic exercise conditions your whole cardiovascular system for a healthier heart and lungs.

    Anaerobic Exercise

    • Anaerobic exercises are brief bursts of maximal effort. Feel the burn? Lactic acid builds up in your muscles during all-out effort, resulting in the burning sensation that's the hallmark of anaerobic training. Weightlifting, running sprints, and sports such as soccer and tennis that intersperse periods of rest with intense activity are all anaerobic. Aerobic activities become anaerobic when performed at a pace that raises your heart rate past 80 percent of maximum. These exercises place heavy demands on the muscles being trained, including your heart. Endurance, strength and muscle mass increase as your body adapts to the load.

    Benefits

    • Regular aerobic exercise can prevent the so-called "lifestyle" diseases: obesity, heart disease, stroke, hypertension, adult-onset diabetes and cancer. Experts recommend at least three 30-minute aerobic workouts a week to reap these benefits. Anaerobic exercise develops strength and improves endurance. The benefits of sprints and high-intensity cardiovascular exercise carry over to your aerobic workouts, letting you burn more calories by working out longer and harder. Lifting weights not only gives you a strong, toned body now but offsets the loss of muscle mass that occurs naturally as we age. Greater muscle mass also increases your metabolism so you burn more calories even at rest.

    Warning

    • Anaerobic training is by its nature very intense. Doing too much too soon can lead to injury or overtraining. Symptoms of overtraining include fatigue, sleep problems and increased vulnerability to infection. New exercisers should build a fitness base with three 30-minute aerobic workouts. See your doctor before adding strenuous anaerobic activities.