Differences Between Aerobics and Cardio Exercise
Posted by in Aerobics And Cardio Exercises on September 30, 2011
One common question I get asked on a regular basis is, what are the differences between aerobic and cardio types of exercise?
Generally, aerobics tends to be easier, consistent and longer in duration. Cardio differs in that it tends to be a harder type of exercise. Harder cardio training helps maintain or improves fitness because it works the heart and cardiovascular system much more.
The different exercises can be referred to as either high or low intensity of effort. So it will probably be better to answer the details of this question in the context of low or high-intensity exercise, so what are the differences, and which is best for losing weight?
High-intensity exercise generally means regularly providing more effort during a movement or moving at a faster pace, either results in burning a great amount of energy. Typical examples would be sprinting, weight training, football or basketball. Low-intensity exercise generally means working out with less effort, but keeping up a consistent pace. Some examples would be walking, speed walking, cycling, aerobics classes and light jogging (for those with average and higher fitness levels).
To lose weight, any exercise will play its role as all will burn a greater amount of calories than doing nothing. For many overweight people, low-intensity exercises will probably be best, even though they don’t burn off as much energy as high-intensity activities. The reason is that low-intensity exercise doesn’t upset or stress the body too much when completed and as a result, can help regulate the appetite. Activities with a lower intensity also tend to burn a greater degree of fat for fuel, even though less total energy is burned per hour. This can be adjusted by simply increasing the duration of the session. Read the rest of this entry »
Aerobic Activity For Healthy Body Tissue
Posted by in Aerobics And Cardio Exercises on September 30, 2011
Aerobic activity is necessary to grow, repair and maintain healthy body tissue. Every cell in your body is constantly at work. Before you were born your body was producing new cells at the rate of 15,000 each minute, and eventually you reached a total of 50 trillion cells (assuming that you are a normal-sized adult). New cell material is constantly replacing old and damaged material. The effects of aging appear when the cells are not able to reproduce themselves fast enough to repair damaged body tissues.
Every tissue in your body is made up of specialized cells for specific bodily functions. Each specialized cell is a sophisticated factory that performs very complex functions as it processes nutrients and minerals to produce new cell material, and for this process there must be an abundant supply of oxygen. Oxygen and nutrients must arrive at the cells in correct proportions. Without enough oxygen to assimilate them, nutrients cannot be processed and will be eliminated from your system unused. Aerobic activity helps your body to optimize its oxygen intake so that there will always be an ample supply to assimilate its nutrition.
Without aerobic activity your body’s oxygen supply is depleted. Minerals and nutrition in your system will be wasted, leading to premature aging. Ligaments turn weak and are easily torn. Muscles turn lax and fill with fat. Bones become brittle. Both the blood and the bones need an abundant supply of calcium, but the blood needs it more. If the blood is not able to assimilate enough calcium from its nutrition because of an inadequate oxygen supply, the blood will actually steal the calcium it needs from the bones, making them fragile and leading to osteoporosis. Read the rest of this entry »