Sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy eating habits have drastically degraded the fitness levels of people. People realize the potential health consequences and problems associated with obesity but refuse to work hard for losing the extra flab from their bodies. It is impossible to lose weight fast unless you are grossly ill. But otherwise, you will need to undertake some or the other means of losing excess weight – exercises, dieting, weight-loss supplements, etc in order to stay in shape as well as to improve the health and functioning of all your body organs. For absolute fitness and optimum fat loss, we must couple up aerobic exercises with anaerobic exercises. They are both useful for burning fat and calories, bringing down blood sugar levels and for weight loss.
The term ‘aerobic’ means – ‘with air’, while the term ‘anaerobic’ means ‘without air’.
Aerobic exercises require you to exert yourself for longer durations, thereby placing a constant and continuous energy demand on the body. They are mainly fueled by the glucose present in the body, which undergoes breakdown via the oxidative energy pathway to provide the energy necessary for meeting the increased energy demands of the body while performing these exercises. On the other hand, anaerobic exercises are short-duration, intermittent, highly intense and strenuous activities, which require bouts of high energy supplies, but the rate at which oxygen is supplied, is much less when compared with the rate at which oxygen is required by the body during such high energy demand phases. Therefore, the body is forced to use substances other than oxygen which act as alternative fuel sources to feed the muscular contractions. Such substances include – glycogen, fatty acids, fat, calories, and proteins (present in the muscles).
Aerobic exercises aid in strengthening the heart, improving the capacity of the lungs, increasing immunity levels in the body, controlling the blood pressure, regulating blood sugar levels and in general well being. On the other hand, anaerobic exercises build muscular mass in the body. These exercises enhance muscular endurance and muscular strength and therefore, your muscles are adapted to lift heavy weights. Strength training is immensely helpful in relieving joint pains inn people suffering from diseases like arthritis and rheumatism. It also aids in strengthening of bones by allowing greater calcium accumulation in the bones of people suffering from osteoporosis.
Examples of aerobic activities include activities such as brisk walking, jogging, running, jumping, aerobics and dancing, stationary cycling, swimming, elliptical training or ascending and descending stairs. Examples of anaerobic activities include repetitive activities requiring bouts of high-energy such as – weight lifting, sprinting, boxing, soccer, football, climbing, performing long jumps or exercises like push-ups, pull-ups and squats.