Aerobic Exercise vs. Anaerobic Exercise: Breakdown

You may have often wondered what the difference between aerobic exercise vs. anaerobic exercise is and which type is better for your health. The main difference between the two is how your body utilizes energy to do these exercises.

Adding both aerobic as well as anaerobic exercises to your workout routine not only helps to keep you fit but also offers health benefits.

To make things easier for you to understand this, we have delved into the topic of aerobic exercise vs. anaerobic exercise in detail. So, read on.

 

Aerobic Exercise vs. Anaerobic Exercise

When you consider aerobic exercise vs. anaerobic exercise, the key difference is in your heart and respiration rate.

Aerobic Exercise

Any type of “cardio” or cardiovascular conditioning, where your heart and breathing rate is increased for a sustained period, is called aerobic exercise. During aerobic activity, oxygen is the main source of energy.

You breathe more quickly and deeply during aerobic exercise than when your heart is at rest, which maximizes the oxygen levels in your blood. Aerobic exercise boosts the heart rate and this, in turn, increases the blood flow to the muscles and lungs.

Some examples of aerobic exercise are running, cycling, brisk walking, swimming laps, Zumba, stair climbing, cross-country skiing, rowing, and elliptical training.

Anaerobic Exercise

On the other hand, anaerobic exercises are usually performed for a short time with maximum effort and involve quick energy bursts.

There is no increase in the absorption and transportation of oxygen in anaerobic exercises. In fact, the body breaks down the stores of glucose in the body in the absence of oxygen, leading to lactic acid buildup in the muscles.

Some anaerobic exercises include sprinting, plyometrics, box jumps, jump squats, HIIT (high-intensity interval training), and heavy weightlifting.

 

Differences Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises

The key differences between aerobic and anaerobic exercises are the intensity of the exercise, how the body utilizes stored energy, and the time for which you can maintain the exercise.

Aerobic exercises are generally gentle and rhythmic and last for a longer duration. Anaerobic exercises, on the other hand, involve short, high-intensity activity.

Aerobic exercise helps to enhance endurance, while anaerobic exercise increases strength and muscle mass.

 

Similarities Between Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises

Both exercises have positive benefits for the cardiovascular system because they help strengthen the heart muscle, improve circulation, boost metabolism, and help in weight management.

Per the CDC, aerobic and anaerobic exercise help lower the risk of chronic health conditions such as type-2 diabetes, heart disease, anxiety, depression, dementia, and certain types of cancers.

According to the American Psychological Association, any exercise, whether aerobic or anaerobic, is beneficial for both physical and mental health.

 

Aerobic Exercise vs. Anaerobic Exercise Advantages 

Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercises help to increase the breathing rate and heart rate and boost circulation, thus improving cardiovascular health.

Aerobic exercises offer several health benefits, such as:

• Reducing the risk of type-2 diabetes, heart attack, and stroke
• Losing weight and keeping it off
• Increasing your stamina and reducing fatigue while exercising
• Lowering blood pressure and controlling it
• Increasing the good cholesterol and reducing the bad cholesterol in the blood
• Improving sleep
• Boosting the immune system
• Enhancing mood
• Helping you live longer compared to people who don’t exercise
• Slowing bone density losses

According to a study, it was seen that people who did light jogging of 1 to 2.4 hours over 2-3 runs a week had a considerably lower risk of mortality compared to people who didn’t exercise.

But people who did strenuous jogging seemed to have the same mortality risk as those who didn’t exercise.

This shows that following a moderate aerobic exercise routine may help to reduce the risk of mortality, but high-intensity aerobic activity may not offer any additional benefits.

Anaerobic Exercise

Anaerobic exercise too offers cardiovascular health benefits like aerobic exercise. But when you compare the two, anaerobic exercise requires more energy in a shorter period of time.

If you want to either lose weight or build muscle, then anaerobic exercise is the best. Or, if you’ve been exercising for a long time and have reached a plateau that you want to break, then anaerobic exercise can be very beneficial.

 

Anaerobic exercise can also help to gain muscle mass or maintain it and also helps to increase bone density as you grow older.

Some of the other advantages of anaerobic exercise include:

• Burning fat
• Strengthening bones
• Building muscle
• Increasing stamina 

 

Aerobic Exercise vs. Anaerobic Exercise Risks

Aerobic Exercise

Anyone can benefit from aerobic exercise, but if you suffer from a chronic health condition or have been inactive for a long time, then it is best to consult your medical practitioner before starting an aerobic workout routine, especially if you:

• Suffer from a pre-existing cardiovascular condition such as
  • High blood pressure
  • Coronary artery disease
  • A heart condition
  • Blood clots
• Are at risk of developing a cardiovascular condition
• Are recovering from a cardiac event or stroke

Your doctor may make specific workout recommendations or suggest ways to help you ease into aerobic exercise. Even if you lead a predominantly sedentary lifestyle, you should start any physical activity gradually.

Suddenly introducing a high-intensity aerobic exercise routine for a long duration can put a lot of stress on the body, which can be harmful.

Always start slowly and then gradually increase the intensity and duration to reduce the risk of any injury. For instance, begin by walking for 5 minutes and add 5 minutes every time until you’re brisk walking for around 30 minutes.

Anaerobic Exercise

Typically, anaerobic exercise can be quite tough on your body and requires higher exertion levels. Anaerobic exercise is generally not recommended if you’re a beginner, and before doing any intense anaerobic workout, you should have a basic fitness level.

If you’re planning to start an anaerobic workout, then it is advised that you get your medical practitioner’s approval and also work along with a certified fitness instructor who will create a workout routine according to your fitness levels, goals, and medical history.

A professional trainer can also help you to follow the proper techniques in the case of weight training and HIIT workouts to reduce the risk of injury or overexertion.

 

Aerobic Exercise vs. Anaerobic Exercise Duration

Aerobic Exercise

According to the AHA (American Heart Association), healthy adults must get:

• Aerobic exercise of moderate intensity for 30 minutes five days per week at least or,
• Aerobic exercise of vigorous intensity for at least 25 minutes three days per week.

 

Typically, moderate aerobic exercise includes activities like brisk walking and bike rides. When doing these activities, you should be able to talk comfortably. When you consider vigorous-intensity activity, they include intense cycling or long-distance running.

These types of activities allow you to reach your weekly quota of aerobic exercise requirements faster. To the above routine, you can add strength training around two times per week to make your workout routine well-rounded.

Anaerobic Exercise

It is advised that adults should do anaerobic exercises like HIIT workouts and moderate or high-intensity muscle strengthening exercises 2-3 days per week with a day of complete recovery in between.

 

When performing anaerobic exercises such as muscle strengthening, you should focus on working out all the major groups of muscles instead of just the upper or lower body muscles.

Anaerobic exercise can be rather tough on the body, so you must add anaerobic exercises to your fitness routine with the help of a certified fitness professional post getting the approval of a medical practitioner.

 

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, when you consider aerobic vs. anaerobic exercises, aerobic exercises are those that increase your breathing and heart rate over a continuous period, whereas anaerobic exercises are those involving short and intense physical activity that cannot be sustained for a long time.

These exercises are beneficial for cardiovascular health and offer other physical and mental health benefits. Adding a type of exercise to your routine depends on various factors, including your health condition, fitness level, and fitness goals.

But before starting any workout routine or adding any new exercises to your existing workout routine, consult your doctor to reduce the risk of injury, overexertion, or any other issues.