The effects and precautions of aerobic exercise and the value of anaerobic exercise

The main benefits of aerobic exercise include: First, controlling high blood pressure. The American Heart Association has recommended at least 30 minutes of exercise daily for comprehensive health improvements. Aerobic exercise can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 11 mmHg and 6 mmHg, respectively, or even more. Hypertension is not simply a condition caused by high blood pressure; it often coexists with obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Regular aerobic exercise not only helps with weight control but also has a positive preventative effect against these three conditions. Second, increasing oxygen delivery capacity and promoting blood circulation, especially in major organs. Third, improving cardiopulmonary function. Aerobic exercise deepens and accelerates breathing, increasing lung capacity and oxygen intake, making the heart stronger and beating more powerfully, pumping more blood throughout the body with each beat, and improving the heart's own blood supply. Medical research has long confirmed that aerobic exercise can increase the proportion of high-density lipoprotein (HDL, or "good cholesterol") in the blood, thereby reducing and preventing the likelihood of coronary heart disease and arteriosclerosis. Fourth, reducing excess body fat and preventing obesity-related diseases. Aerobic exercise combined with proper dietary control is the most effective way to remove excess body fat without sacrificing muscle mass like some unscientific weight loss methods. Fifth, it improves mental state, reduces emotional tension, and produces endorphin effects. Endorphins have analgesic effects, and in doses, they are 200 times more potent than morphine; aerobic exercise can stimulate endorphin secretion.

Aerobic exercise for weight loss requires consistency. If you start exercising on a whim and give up when you lose interest, you won't achieve complete weight loss. Even if you lose weight for a while, you'll quickly regain it if you don't stick to exercising. Therefore, dieters must persevere and gradually develop good exercise habits. Then, it won't feel like a difficult task, but rather something you enjoy.

It's generally not recommended to exercise immediately after a meal, as it can have adverse effects on the body. Instead, stand for about half an hour or do some light physical labor to prevent fat accumulation in the waist, abdomen, and legs. Remember to replenish fluids during aerobic exercise; don't assume that losing water will lead to weight loss. Hydration is crucial for weight loss. Aerobic exercise burns fat and calories, but don't overdo it. Prolonged fatigue can negatively impact muscle mass. Aerobic exercise burns more calories than strength training, which focuses on building and increasing muscle mass with lower calorie expenditure. Therefore, for weight loss, it's recommended to do aerobic exercise after strength training. This ensures you have the energy for both. Conversely, if you don't schedule aerobic exercise after strength training, performing strength training when your energy reserves are low will not help with weight loss and may even lead to weight gain.

When engaging in and choosing aerobic exercise, we should pay attention to the following: First, choose the form of exercise that best promotes overall physical and mental health. Second, it is essential to choose an exercise that you are interested in and can potentially maintain long-term. Third, determine the pattern of aerobic exercise to achieve the goal of aerobic metabolism. For men: aerobic exercise heart rate per minute = 205 - [(age ÷ 2) × 60% ~ 85%]. For women: aerobic exercise heart rate per minute = 220 - [age × 60% ~ 85%]. For example, for a 50-year-old man, the aerobic exercise heart rate per minute should be: 205 - [(50 ÷ 2) × 60% ~ 85%], which is 108 ~ 153. This means that a heart rate below 108 during exercise is not effective, while a heart rate above 153 indicates strenuous exercise, entering an anaerobic metabolic state, which is also not effective.

When it comes to weight loss, we've already learned about aerobic exercises like brisk walking and running, which are effective at metabolizing fat. For muscle building and boosting metabolism, anaerobic exercise is the best method. While aerobic exercise does burn fat, the number of calories burned isn't as high as you might imagine, making it difficult to lose weight solely through aerobic exercise. Anaerobic exercise, on the other hand, builds muscle and increases muscle mass. As we've learned before, a higher basal metabolic rate means better calorie burning, and anaerobic exercise is most effective at increasing the basal metabolic rate. Since anaerobic exercise builds muscle, higher muscle mass contributes to a leaner physique.

Anaerobic exercise refers to high-intensity, fast-paced, strenuous exercise that results in a pulse rate exceeding 150 beats per minute and rapid breathing afterward. Examples include boxing, sprinting, and rope skipping. Among all anaerobic exercises, muscle training is the most effective for increasing muscle mass because the increased strain on muscles produces lactic acid and other substances that accumulate in the muscles. At this point, the brain receives this signal and secretes growth hormone, which promotes muscle formation. Weightlifting or dumbbell exercises can secrete 200 times more growth hormone than at rest, which also stimulates bone formation and skin metabolism. In addition to promoting muscle growth, growth hormone also breaks down fat. The broken-down fat is transported out of fat cells into the bloodstream, becoming an easily usable energy source. This state continues even after growth hormone secretion ceases following exercise.