Aerobic Versus Anaerobic Exercise!

 Back in the late 80’s I was attending college I participated in many sports as well as aerobics classes (who didn’t take aerobics classes in the eighties)? These activities kept me in good shape. At that time, I thought my aerobics classes gave me the best bang for my buck as far as my overall fitness was concerned and to be honest lifting weights was kind of intimidating.
After college I started training and competing in Taekwondo. I was slim and fast, but I wasn’t too muscular. I quickly realized I wasn’t as strong and powerful as I thought. So, I got out of my comfort zone and started incorporating weight lifting (anaerobic exercise) into my routine. What a game changer. I increased my muscle and power and improved my kicking speed and endurance while losing excess fat. Best of all I got over my fear of the weight room.
I decided to research the effects of anaerobic and aerobic exercise and learned some great information. Building muscle increases your metabolism and burns more calories throughout the day. Weight training is generally considered anaerobic exercise, and because of its effect on metabolism it contributes to fat loss. In comparison, that longer-duration low to moderate intensity aerobic training is also effective for burning fat. Fat is an oxidative fuel, meaning it can only be metabolized aerobically, and cannot provide anaerobic energy. Aerobic energy is produced in the mitochondria of your muscles, where fat and glucose are oxidized. Endurance training is effective in promoting the growth of mitochondria and increasing the enzymes that help to oxidize fat.
In conclusion, for the individual looking to stay in shape, lose fat and maintain or increase lean muscle mass incorporating a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise will yield the best overall results.
You can expect Survival of The Fittest Health and Wellness to go above and beyond to help you reach your goals in 2019. If you are interested in more information, please visit www.sofhealthandwellness.com or you can reach Owner James O’Rourke directly at 661-713-7576 or James@sofhealthandwellness.com.