Exercise is good for health! Which is the best exercise, "aerobic" or "anaerobic"?

When it comes to sports, some people like brisk walking, dancing or yoga, while others like lifting dumbbells, playing with equipment... They all seem to be moving, but these different forms of exercise are divided into "aerobic" and "anaerobic" because of their different "energy supply methods".

"Although there is only one letter difference between 'aerobic exercise' and 'anaerobic exercise', they are completely different." Zhou Yue, a professor at the School of Sports Human Science of Beijing Sport University, said that exercise is like the engine of a car, which needs fuel to provide energy. The main sources of energy for the human body are fat, sugar and protein. When the intensity of exercise is relatively low, the energy consumption is relatively small, and oxygen has time to be transported to tissue cells for metabolism (also known as "aerobic metabolism"), and the energy needs of the human body are met by burning fat. This kind of exercise is aerobic exercise. Usually, exercise that can be carried out for a long time is aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing, yoga, playing ball, etc. On the contrary, when the exercise is very intense or breaks out rapidly, such as weightlifting, 100-meter sprint, sprinting, wrestling, throwing, muscle machine training, etc., the body needs to consume a lot of energy in an instant, and oxygen does not have time to reach the cells to participate in combustion. Aerobic metabolism is difficult to meet the body's strong energy consumption needs, so the sugar in the body will undergo anaerobic metabolism to quickly produce a large amount of energy for replenishment. Exercise in this state is anaerobic exercise. In other words, most anaerobic exercises are high-intensity and instantaneous exercises.

Zhou Yue said that although aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise have different energy supply forms, they each have their own training advantages. Aerobic exercise can fully burn body fat and is conducive to the control of blood sugar and blood lipids; anaerobic exercise can exercise muscle strength and increase muscle circumference, prevent osteoporosis, and enhance cardiopulmonary function.

Ten benefits of aerobic exercise

Low risk of dementia. A study by Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden showed that women who did more aerobic exercise in middle age were 88% less likely to develop dementia 40 years later.

Anti-aging: The University of London in the UK compared 125 amateur cyclists aged between 55 and 79 with 75 people of similar age who rarely exercised and found that the immune systems of cyclists were more able to withstand the risks of aging.

Stronger muscles. A study published in the American Journal of Sports and Exercise Science showed that men who engaged in moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise for 45 minutes four times a week increased their leg muscle mass by 5% to 6%.

Prevent heart damage. A study published in the American journal Circulation showed that engaging in high-intensity aerobic exercise can significantly improve left ventricular function and help prevent hardening of the heart's aorta.

Promotes gut health. Aerobic exercise can change the composition of gut microbes, which can play a role in inflammation, which is an early warning sign of gut disease.

Improve cholesterol levels. A study by the University of Greenwich in the UK found that aerobic exercise can reduce low-density lipoprotein levels and increase high-density lipoprotein levels, thereby reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Prevent diabetes. Endocrinologists at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital found that 20 minutes of moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise a day can halve the risk of diabetes because it changes the way the body uses blood sugar.

Improve skin. Researchers at McMaster University in Canada say that middle-aged people who regularly engage in aerobic exercise have healthier, younger-looking skin.

Reduce depression. Sports scientists at the Free University of Berlin in Germany found that patients with severe depression who spent 30 minutes running every day for 10 days had significantly reduced depression symptoms.

Improve memory. A study by Maastricht University in the Netherlands found that elderly women with mild cognitive impairment who performed aerobic exercise (walking and swimming) twice a week had a significant increase in the volume of the hippocampus, which is related to learning and memory, and improved their memory.

Anaerobic exercise has four major benefits

1. Reduce the risk of osteoporosis

Anaerobic exercise contributes greatly to increasing muscle endurance and speed. Among them, aerobic training has little effect on increasing bone density, while strength training, which is anaerobic exercise, is more effective in increasing bone density and can more effectively reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

2. Improve body immunity

After exercise, the repair of damaged muscles and the metabolism of lactic acid consume fat, increase the ratio of muscle to fat, increase muscle metabolism rate, and improve body immunity. Therefore, compared with aerobic exercise, its "fat reduction" effect is not reflected "during exercise" but "after exercise", achieving the effect of "losing weight" even if you don't exercise.

3. Reduced risk of death from disease

Anaerobic exercise can improve the speed and strength of muscle contraction, effectively reducing the risk of death from disease. For every 10% increase in a person's grip strength, the risk of disease will be reduced by 30%. In comparison, aerobic exercise pales in comparison in this regard.

4. Exercise your muscles

Anaerobic exercise is too fast and explosive, and the sugar in the human body does not have time to be broken down by oxygen, so it has to rely on "anaerobic energy supply". This kind of exercise will produce too much lactic acid in the body, causing muscle fatigue and inability to last long. After exercise, you will feel muscle soreness and shortness of breath. Anaerobic exercise is a way of exercising muscles to make the body stronger.

Aerobic or anaerobic depends on the person

It should be noted that there is no absolute boundary between aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise. When people exercise, they will not suddenly switch from one metabolic state to another. In most cases, the two overlap, but aerobic metabolism is more dominant when the intensity is low, and anaerobic metabolism is more dominant when the intensity is high. Nevertheless, in order to achieve the best fitness effect and avoid sports injuries, people of different ages should focus on the choice of exercise methods.

Teenagers: Children of this age are in the stage of physical development. It is difficult for them to get enough exercise through physical education classes alone. It is recommended that they do at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day, mainly a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Lu Zhiyong from the Institute of Sports Medicine of the State Sports General Administration also said that according to the physical development law of adolescents, 6-14 years old is a sensitive period for the development of endurance quality. The sports during this period are mainly endurance sports. Generally, children can train their endurance quality after learning to walk independently. Studies have reported that the fastest runners under the age of 14 in the world can run a marathon in less than 3 hours. Therefore, endurance training is beneficial to the growth and development of children and can enable them to reach a higher level of exercise. However, minors under the age of 14 should not perform strength training too early, because the human cardiovascular system will not fully develop until after the age of 14. If too much strength training is performed before the age of 14, it is easy to cause damage to the cardiovascular system, which is not conducive to future growth and development.

14-28 years old is a special age group, because this is the growth and development period of the human body. The whole body's skeletal and muscular systems are in a process of gradually becoming stronger. At this time, if the body is given corresponding benign stimulation, the human body will grow and develop faster, and at the same time, it will be stronger and stronger. Therefore, for young athletes at this stage, there is no need to limit sports. Within the scope of his ability, try to cultivate his interests and hobbies, such as ball games, running and jumping sports.

Middle-aged and young adults: Adults are busy with work and have little time for exercise, but it is recommended that they complete at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week. If physical conditions permit, they can add 1 to 2 muscle machine training sessions per week.

Lu Zhiyong said that after the age of 28, the human skeletal system has developed completely, and the internal organs and other systems are also well developed. This is the stage of vigorous development of the human body. At this stage, there are many choices of sports, and aerobic exercise is recommended. Different individuals can choose running or swimming according to their personal abilities. However, according to the needs of social interaction, you can also choose some ball sports, such as basketball and football, which are beneficial to the body and mind.

Elderly people: As they age, their body functions decline and exercise becomes more difficult, but they should still exercise 3 to 5 times a week, mainly aerobic exercise; elderly people with poor mobility or chronic diseases can choose relatively mild exercise, such as brisk walking, Tai Chi, etc. In addition, they should also pay attention to doing some activities that can exercise balance and prevent falls, such as swimming, dancing, etc.

Lu Zhiyong said that middle-aged and elderly sports enthusiasts over 50 years old should be cautious when choosing sports. Because the human body's cardiopulmonary function and body muscle strength are in a declining period at this time. The choice of sports must take into account future sustainable development, so it is best to choose sports such as brisk walking, jogging or swimming. Secondly, some sports with less activity, such as billiards, golf, gateball, etc., are suitable for the elderly to do aerobic exercise, which can not only promote the heart and lungs, but also keep the muscle strength in a certain state of stimulation, which is beneficial to the body and mind.

Ten ways to keep exercising

1. Riding a bicycle to work. This allows people to exercise without having to set aside a whole block of time, thus reducing the burden.

2. Set daily goals. A survey by the American website "Fitness Enthusiasts" found that nearly 60% of people's fitness plans made in the New Year ended in failure. They often make long-term plans and lose confidence once they fail to complete them. It is best to set specific daily goals for exercise, such as 5 minutes of push-ups.

3. Join a sports club. This can increase your chances of making friends, and encouragement and support from friends is crucial to sticking to exercise.

4. Try wearable devices. Such devices and mobile phone software can make exercise more specific and intuitive. They can also be adjusted according to personal circumstances, helping you choose the best plan and stick to it.

5. Try "adventure" sports. Participate in "stimulating" sports such as hiking, swimming, rafting, mountain biking, etc. on weekends. These "adventures" that you have never experienced before will help increase the fun of sports.

6. Find a sports partner. A new study from Stanford University in the United States shows that couples who exercise together increase their exercise volume by 78% compared to couples who exercise separately. Whether it is a partner, family or friend, exercising together is more interesting and more likely to be adhered to.

7. Treat exercise as a game. This allows people to maintain their motivation and greatly enhances the fun of exercise. For example, by recording exercise time and intensity and comparing them day by day, you can enhance the "game feeling".

8. More variety. A Gallup survey found that in 2015, 55% of Americans exercised regularly. One of the reasons was that the popular wearable devices that were launched that year changed the traditional way of exercise and the concept of exercise. The form and amount of exercise should be diversified, rather than the unchangeable "how far to run or how many times to lift weights every day".

9. Seek help from a personal trainer. Personalized guidance is critical to maintaining the scientific and lasting nature of exercise. A personal trainer will develop an exercise plan that maximizes your performance based on your physical fitness and other indicators.

10. Reward yourself. Occasionally do some "half-work, half-play" exercise, such as riding a bicycle to visit a brewery or running to a barbecue restaurant, and give yourself some appropriate rewards, etc., to encourage yourself to fall in love with exercise. (People's Health Network compiled from Health Times, Xinhua News Agency, Life Times, People's Network-Popular Science China)