WELLNESS
AEROBIC EXERCISE
Aerobic exercises use continuously repeated movement
of large muscles in the arms, legs, and buttocks to
strengthen your heart and lungs (cardiovascular system).
When you exercise, the muscles demand more oxygen-rich
blood and give off more carbon dioxide and other waste.
This makes your heart beat faster to keep up.
Types of Aerobic Exercise
- Brisk walking, Jogging, Running
- Swimming, Aqua Aerobics
- Cycling, Treadmill, Elliptical Cross Trainer
- Aerobic Classes, Pump, Step
- Dancing, Cheerleading, Marching
When you're aerobically fit, your body becomes more
efficient in the following ways:
- Taking in more oxygen – as you breathe faster
and more deeply to maximize the amount of oxygen in
your blood stream.
- Pumps blood faster and more forcefully. To produce
energy and deliver oxygen more effectively to the
rest of your body, your heart beats faster. The force
of each beat of your heart increases to maximize blood
flow to your muscles and back to your lungs.
- Increases the diameter and number of small blood
vessels – improving the transport of more oxygen
to your muscles, and the carrying away of waste products,
such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid.
- Avoids overheating. Your body warms up when you
repeatedly move your muscles. To compensate for the
rise in temperature, your body releases heat into
the air as you breathe out. You also lose heat, water
and minerals as you sweat.
- Releases endorphins. Regular aerobic exercise releases
endorphins, acting as your body's natural painkillers
and responsible for the ‘high’ that many
people experience after aerobic exercise.
Aerobic exercise aids longevity by helping to prevent
certain diseases and conditions
- Reduces risk of coronary artery disease –
strengthens the heart muscle requiring less effort
to support normal activity. A stronger heart muscle
pumps blood more efficiently around the body.
- Reduce your risk of developing hypertension (high
blood pressure). Improves blood fats - increases the
concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
(the "good" cholesterol) and decreases the
concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
(the "bad" cholesterol) in your blood.
- Reduces risk of stroke - Improving blood fats results
in less build-up of plaques in your arteries. Deposits
of plaques in blood vessels leading to your brain
can result in a stroke.
- Reduces risk of developing some cancers, including
breast, colon, prostate and endometrial cancer.
- Reduces risk of developing type 2 diabetes - helps
control weight, and obese conditions that can lead
to type 2 diabetes. For those already with diabetes,
aerobic exercise helps avoid long-term complications
such as kidney failure or heart disease.
- Wards off viral illnesses - activates the immune
system to fight off infection. People who exercise
regularly are less susceptible to minor viral illnesses,
such as colds and flu.
- Relieves chronic muscle pain and fibromyalgia -
stimulates the growth of tiny blood vessels (capillaries)
in your muscles. This helps your body deliver oxygen
to your muscles more efficiently and remove irritating
metabolic waste products, such as lactic acid.
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