Aerobic

Activitie
s
Grade 11 PE and Health
Aerobic
Exercises
Aerobic exercises are endurance-type exercises in
which a person’s muscles move in a rhythmic and
coordinated manner for a sustained period.

People refer to these exercises as aerobic because

they require oxygen to generate energy. Aerobic
exercises increase a person’s heart rate and
breathing rate to supply more oxygen to the body’s
muscles.
Examples of
aerobic exercise
include:
* brisk walking

* running

* cycling

* swimming
 Benefits of aerobic exercise
In general, aerobic exercises increase the heart rate and breathing rate and boost circulation.
In this way, they improve a person’s cardiovascular health.

Some potential benefits of aerobic exercise include:

* increasing stamina and reducing fatigue

* assisting weight management
* lowering blood pressure
* increasing levels of “good” cholesterol and lowering levels of “bad” cholesterol in the
blood
* stimulating the immune system
* improving mood
* improving sleep
* slowing losses in bone density
 A 2015 study investigated whether regular
aerobic activity reduced a person’s mortality
risk. The study found that people who
engaged in a total of 1–2.4 hours of light
jogging over two or three runs per week had a
significantly lower risk of mortality than
those who did not exercise.
However, people who practiced
strenuous jogging appeared to have
the same mortality risk as those
who did not exercise at all. This
finding suggests that moderate
aerobic exercise can help reduce
the risk of mortality but that high
intensity aerobic exercise may not
confer any added advantage.
 Risks of aerobic exercises
Aerobic exercises are beneficial for most people. However, people should talk to
a doctor before they begin practicing aerobic exercise if they:

* have a preexisting cardiovascular condition, such as:

- a heart condition
- coronary artery disease
- high blood pressure
- blood clots

* are at risk of developing a cardiovascular condition

* are recovering from a stroke or another type of cardiac event

Doctors may be able to make specific
exercise recommendations or suggest
sensible restrictions to help a person
ease into regular aerobic exercise.
A person with a sedentary
lifestyle should also ease into
physical activity gradually.
The sudden introduction of
long duration, high intensity
aerobic exercise may put
unnecessary stress on the
body.
Exercise Safely
It is recommended that you talk with your
physician before you start an exercise
program. Ask what, if any, limitations you
may have. People who suffer from
diabetes, hypertension, heart disease,
arthritis, pulmonary conditions, or other
health conditions may need additional
safety guidelines for exercise.
Note:
If you develop symptoms during exercise
including, but not limited to, unusual
shortness of breath; tightness in the chest;
chest, shoulder, or jaw pain;
lightheadedness; dizziness; confusion; or
joint pain, you should stop exercising
immediately and contact your physician.
 Warming up and cooling down
Every session of aerobic exercise should include a warm-up and cool-
down. The warm-up period should not include static stretching, but
should instead be a gradual increase in pace and intensity of the
exercise. This allows the body to increase blood flow to the muscles
and decreases the likelihood of a muscle or joint injury. The warm-up
should last between 5 and 10 minutes. The cool-down session should
last a similar amount of time as the warm-up, with the pace gradually
decreasing. Stretching exercises would be appropriate after aerobic
exercise.