Exercise: Types, Benefits, and Tips
Regular physical activity improves different areas throughout the body and mind, promoting a healthy lifestyle. There are not only a variety of benefits to exercise, but also different types. Here are some keys to a healthy lifestyle and information about each exercise.
Types of Exercise and their Definitions
The four categories of exercise include:
★ Aerobic
○ Also called endurance exercising, this exercise type aims to use the body’s oxygen.
■ Speeds up your heart rate
■ Increases endurance
■ More rhythmic
■ Adjustable during workouts
■ Cells use oxygen to produce energy
★ Anaerobic
○ Also called strength training, this is the opposite of aerobic exercise; not aiming toward the usage of oxygen.
■ Increases muscle mass and strength
■ Involve short bursts during intense physical activity
■ Body breaks down glucose in absence of oxygen
■ Can gain more confidence
■ Cells do not use oxygen to produce energy
★ Flexibility
○ This involves free movement and stretching
■ Makes muscles more flexible
■ Reduce pain or risks of injury
■ Can include slow, repetitive motion
★ Balance
○ Prevents from falling
■ Slow exercises
■ Beneficial in the long-run, preventing losses such as hearing, vision, and joints.
■ Strongly recommended for older adults due to the possible risks of falling.
■ Can keep your feet more stable
Examples Per Exercise
Because our body has different movements throughout the way we work, each physical movement is also different for each category. Here are different physical activities and their categories of exercise.
Examples of aerobic exercise:
● Walking
● Jogging
● Hiking
● Cycling
● Skating
● Swimming
● Dancing
● Jump Roping
● Using cardio equipment
○ Elliptical bikes
○ Treadmills
○ Steppers/Stair Climbers
Examples of anaerobic exercise:
● Sprinting
● Weightlifting
● Plank
● Mountain climbers
● Arm Curls
● Pull-Ups
● Wall Push-Ups
● Sit-Ups 3
● Squat jumps
● Box jumps
● HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
Examples of flexibility:
● Yoga
● Back-stretching
● Hamstring stretch
● Leg stretching
● Seat stretching
● Standing quad stretch
● Back flexibility
● Side lunges
● Cross-Over
● Knees to chest
● Gymnastics
Examples of balance:
● Tai Chi
● Standing knee lift
● Standing on one foot
● Balance walk
● Walking heel to toe
● Weight shifts
● Holding a handstand
Overall Benefits of Exercising
Exercises are divided into these four primary branches, because each category of exercise contains its own benefits.
1. Cardiovascular health
A commonality for all the four exercises is improving cardiovascular health. An increased blood ow in your body improves circulation. These benefits include lowering hypertension, reducing chances of strokes, reducing risks of a heart attack, lowering cholesterol levels, and improving overall heart health. In addition, due to mental factors such as depression and anxiety elevating blood pressure, exercise can benefit your cognitive process, easing high blood pressure. These health benefits occur particularly from aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
2. Muscular and bone health
Bone and muscle health strengthen and grow from physical activity. Anaerobic exercises or physical activity involving your muscles are the origin of this health benefit, because the purpose of anaerobic exercise is to burn fat and store glycogen in your muscles for energy production. This is also because your muscles have pressure on a certain weight or force, making them work harder.
3. Manages weight
Aerobic and anaerobic exercises promote weight maintenance, especially when preventing obesity. Along with maintaining a healthy diet, exercising reduces the high calories your body contains.
4. Improves mood
Flexibility and balance exercises help adjust your stress hormones, improving the sense of control you have on your mind and managing your mood. Although the connection between exercise and mental health is vague, symptoms are at ease. These symptoms include distracting your mind from constant worries, gaining social and personal confidence, and a coping mechanism. As a result, you will be able to actively continue your day stress-free, especially during your sleep. Sleep 5 quality can impact mood. Therefore, commitment to physical activity daily is essential for a proficient sleep quality.
5. Prevents injuries
Certain injuries such as back pain, joint pain, and balance problems can have reduced risks, particularly from flexibility and balance exercises. This is because the two types of exercises do not promote excessive muscle usage. Your muscle would become tight without active stretching, putting both muscle and joint pain. In addition, your posture improves throughout these exercises.
The Bottom Line
Commitment to exercising daily can be a struggle, so it is essential to maintain some sort of physical activity, primarily aerobic exercise. In addition, recognizing the importance of exercise creates a hope for a healthy, long life. The previous types of exercises contain different outcomes and benefits so you can adjust your current workout or begin structuring a workout.