Anaerobic Exercises
Most people know what aerobic exercises are and can probably name quite a few. But, if you ask those people what an anaerobic exercise is, they might be confused. They might think they have never heard of them before. You have heard of them, you just may not have heard that term used. Anaerobic simply means “without oxygen” or without needing oxygen. These exercises are short and intense, rather than moderate and long lasting.
Why You Need Both Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercise
If you are just starting out, especially if you have been sedentary for a very long time, aerobic exercise is a better bet because anaerobic can be too much. Aerobic exercise can help build your cardiovascular system up in preparation for the more serious work ahead of you. Think of aerobic exercise as the stepping point to the anaerobic work. You start with walking (aerobic) and work your way up to the ability to run or full out spring (anaerobic).
Anaerobic exercise helps you to build additional muscle mass and also helps you to keep your bones strong and healthy.
One of the Best Known Anaerobic Exercises
If you have never lifted weights at all, you are missing out on one of the best known and most effective anaerobic exercises of all time. Before you get the idea that you only lift weights to get big and bulky, reconsider. There are far more reasons that you should be lifting weights, whether you are a woman or a man, young or old.
One of the most common myths about weight lifting and women is that they will get big and bulky, losing their feminine appeal. That is simply not true. Women, are not genetically predisposed to getting the big bulky muscles without spending hours in the gym every day. They also need to seriously change their diet to accomplish that physique.
Lifting weights can not only tone your muscles but can also prevent them from withering away. As we age, our muscles may shrink if we don’t take the steps to prevent that from happening. Another benefit of weights is the ability to help strengthen our bones which can help reduce the risk of fractures especially in those who are at highest risk for osteoporosis. That includes women of Asian descent and small framed people of both genders. Certain medications can also cause problems with softened bones.
The benefit of weight training is that you don’t have to lift very heavy weights to accomplish your goals. You also don’t have to invest in a ton of expensive weights. When you are starting out, you can get a set of inexpensive dumbbells, watch yard sales and tag sales for a cheap weight set or you can improvise. Fill milk jugs with sand or even with water and you can use them to do a few curls, lifts and other simple moves. If you have an injury, you can and should modify the moves so that you do not worsen it.
Taking a HIIT for Fitness
Another suggestion for anaerobic exercise is HIIT training. You may be confused by the term but it is actually very simple: it stands for high intensity interval training and it can be a great way to take your training to the next level. Virtually anything can be used to create a HIIT workout. If you are going to be jogging, for instance, you can pick up the pace and go all out for a minute to two minutes and then drop back to your regular jogging pace, continuing to alternate between jogging and all out sprinting until your time is up or you have covered the distance that you would like to.
Plyometrics or Jump Training
Plyometrics or jump training is a beneficial form of anaerobic exercise for a number of reasons. First, it requires explosive power to accomplish the move correctly. Second, it is a higher intensity workout, allowing you to burn far more calories in a shorter period of time. Your body has to focus on what is happening to stay upright because you are actually leaving the ground.
Most experts agree that no matter what type of sport you play or what your fitness goals might be, you need to incorporate jump training at some point in your routine. For those who have any lower body injuries, jump training is not a good idea
Isometrics
An isometric exercise is one where you hold at some point during the exercise in one stationery position. For instance, if you are doing a bicep curl with an isometric hold, you might hold the weight at the top of the curl for a few seconds before releasing the weight back to the starting position. You can also do the reverse, holding the curl at the bottom. An isometric hold can make the exercise you are doing seem that much more difficult because the weight is in one place instead of moving. Again, if you have any injuries, modify the exercise or do not use the isometric hold for quite so long.
Warning: if you try to over contract a muscle in an isometric hold, you greatly increase your risk of a cramp or a strain injury. You also increase the risk of sore and achy muscles after the exercise is completed.
Why You are More Sore After Anaerobic Exercise
One day, you jogged four miles at a moderate pace. You finished sweaty, panting and wore out but recovered pretty quickly. The following day, you did a lengthy HIIT workout and you finished in much the same condition but by evening of that day, you were sore and stiff, groaning with nearly every move. Not only did you work harder with the HIIT, you also created a buildup of lactic acid in your muscles. Lactic acid is what makes your muscles sore and achy and builds up with the anaerobic exercise that engages your muscles more deeply.