What kind of exercise is called aerobic exercise?

Nowadays, many people pay more attention to health preservation and always do some exercise in their free time to achieve the purpose of exercising the body. In particular, many people know that aerobic exercise can produce certain effects on the body, but many people have a very unclear understanding of aerobic exercise and don’t know what aerobic exercise is. Let me give you a detailed introduction to the specific situation of aerobic exercise!

Aerobic exercise refers to physical exercise performed by the human body with adequate oxygen supply. That is, during exercise, the amount of oxygen inhaled by the human body is equal to its demand, reaching a state of physiological balance. Simply put, aerobic exercise refers to any rhythmic exercise that lasts for a long time (about 15 minutes or more) and has a moderate or high intensity (75% to 80% of the maximum heart rate). Aerobic exercise is a kind of regular exercise that can last for more than 5 minutes with some energy left.

Whether it is "aerobic exercise" is measured by heart rate. Exercise with a heart rate maintained at 150 beats/minute is aerobic exercise, because at this time the blood can supply the myocardium with sufficient oxygen; therefore, it is characterized by low intensity, rhythm, and long duration. Each exercise should last no less than 30 minutes, and should be done 3 to 5 times a week. This type of exercise allows oxygen to fully burn (i.e. oxidize) the sugar in the body, consume body fat, enhance and improve cardiopulmonary function, prevent osteoporosis, and regulate psychological and mental state. It is the main form of exercise for fitness. Therefore, if you are overweight and want to lose weight through exercise, it is recommended to choose aerobic exercise, such as jogging and cycling.

Common aerobic exercises include: walking, brisk walking, jogging, race walking, skating, long-distance swimming, cycling, Tai Chi, fitness dancing, skipping rope/rhythmic gymnastics, ball sports such as basketball, football, etc. Aerobic exercise is characterized by low intensity, rhythm, uninterrupted and long duration. Compared with explosive non-aerobic exercises such as weightlifting, running, high jump, long jump, and throwing, aerobic exercise is a constant exercise that can last for more than 5 minutes with spare energy.

The purpose of aerobic exercise is to enhance cardiorespiratory endurance. During exercise, the muscles contract and a large amount of nutrients and oxygen are required, so the number of heart contractions increases and the amount of blood pumped out each time is more than usual. At the same time, the demand for oxygen also increases, the number of breaths is more than normal, and the lungs contract and expand to a greater extent. So when exercise continues and muscles contract for a long time, the heart and lungs must work hard to supply oxygen to the muscles and transport waste away from the muscles. This continuous demand can improve cardiopulmonary endurance. When cardiorespiratory endurance increases, the body can exercise for longer or at a higher intensity and is less likely to tire.

Generally speaking, most aerobic exercises last more than 55 minutes, and the intensity of the exercise is moderate or above. The measurement standard of aerobic exercise is the heart rate. Generally speaking, there are many ways of aerobic exercise. No matter which method is adopted, the exercise time should be well controlled, and it is better to stick to it.