What is Aerobic Exercise & Why is it Important?

What is Aerobic Exercise?

We now know based on the WHO guidelines that partaking in 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise weekly is one of the most important steps you can take to improving your health. 

“Aerobic exercise (also known as endurance activities,[1] cardio or cardio-respiratory exercise) is physical exercise of low to high intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process.[3] "Aerobic" is defined as "relating to, involving, or requiring free oxygen", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism.[5] Aerobic exercise is performed by repeating sequences of light-to-moderate intensity activities for extended periods of time. Aerobic exercise may be better referred to as "solely aerobic", as it is designed to be low-intensity enough that all carbohydrates are aerobically turned into energy via mitochondrial ATP production. Mitochondria are organelles that rely on oxygen for the metabolism of carbs, proteins, and fats. Examples of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise are medium- to long-distance running or jogging, swimming, cycling, stair climbing and walking.” Link 

Benefits

The World Health Organization suggests all people should partake in aerobic exercise for the myriad of health benefits for these reasons:

“Regular physical activity, such as walking, cycling, wheeling, doing sports or active recreation, provides significant benefits for health. Some physical activity is better than doing none. By becoming more active throughout the day in relatively simple ways, people can easily achieve the recommended activity levels. 

Physical inactivity is one of the leading risk factors for noncommunicable diseases mortality. People who are insufficiently active have a 20% to 30% increased risk of death compared to people who are sufficiently active.

Regular physical activity can:

• improve muscular and cardiorespiratory fitness;

• improve bone and functional health;

• reduce the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, various types of cancer (including breast cancer and colon cancer), and depression;

• reduce the risk of falls as well as hip or vertebral fractures; and

• help maintain a healthy body weight.

In children and adolescents, physical activity improves:

• physical fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness)

• cardiometabolic health (blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, glucose, and insulin resistance)

• bone health

• cognitive outcomes (academic performance, executive function)

• mental health (reduced symptoms of depression)

• reduced adiposity

In adults and older adults, higher levels of physical activity improves:

• risk of all-cause mortality

• risk of cardiovascular disease mortality

• incident hypertension

• incident site-specific cancers (bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, oesophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric and renal cancers)

• incident type-2 diabetes

• prevents of falls

• mental health (reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression)

• cognitive health

• sleep

• measures of adiposity may also improve

For pregnant and post-partum women 

Physical activity confers the following maternal and fetal health benefits: a decreased risk of:

• pre-eclampsia,

• gestational hypertension,

• gestational diabetes (for example 30% reduction in risk)

• excessive gestational weight gain,

• delivery complications

• postpartum depression

• newborn complications,

• and physical activity has no adverse effects on birthweight or increased risk of stillbirth.” Link

Based on what the global leading bodies on health are suggesting, partaking in physical activity may be the best investment you’ve ever made for yourself. The long-term benefits will make you happier, healthier, and can prevent costly health issues in the long and short term.