Exercise that increases heart rate and blood flow to the heart with the aim of enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness is commonly referred to as aerobic, cardiovascular, or endurance exercise. However, it does more beneficial for your heart than that.
Michael Jonesco, DO, an associate professor of internal and sports medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, defines aerobic exercise technically as "any form of exercise or activity that uses the aerobic metabolism," meaning oxygen is heavily involved in the cellular reactions that provide the body with the energy necessary to perform activity." "You're improving your ability to supply oxygen to the body as a whole."
This implies that aerobic exercise increases the heart's capacity to pump more blood that carries oxygen with each beat. Both the muscles and lungs adjust to take in more oxygen and use it more effectively.
Another way to think about aerobic exercise, or cardio, is as the kind of activity that elevates your breathing and heart rate to a point where you don't feel the need to stop and recover after a short while. Consider exercises like cycling, swimming, stair climbing, jogging, and speed walking.
Your whole cardiovascular system and your heart health are improved by aerobic exercise.
According to Nicole Belkin, MD, the chief of orthopedic surgery, rehabilitation, and regenerative medicine at New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt Manor, New York, cardiovascular fitness is determined by your ability to push yourself. "The cardiovascular system is trained to grow the degree of demand and increase its capacity through regular physical activity. As a result, the heart receives more blood in terms of volume and flow.
The body's microscopic powerhouses, called mitochondria, proliferate and enlarge when you engage in aerobic exercise. According to Dr. Jonesco, mitochondria use oxygen to produce energy that can power vital bodily reactions. According to The Cell: A Molecular Approach, they comprise the portion of the body's cells that convert oxygen into the energy each cell needs to function. [1] Studies that were published in The American Journal of Cardiology indicate that aerobic training is the most effective type of exercise for enhancing cardiovascular health, and these modifications have significant positive effects on heart health.[2]
According to Jonesco, engaging in regular aerobic exercise can help lower blood pressure (hypertension), enhance immune system function, lower cholesterol, and regulate blood sugar to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, those heart-healthy advantages are critical because, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease is the nation's leading cause of adult mortality. [3]
Like any other muscle in the body, the heart gains strength via exercise. Aerobic activity, such as jogging, swimming, biking, and brisk walking, trains the heart to circulate blood more effectively throughout the body, according to Eduardo Sanchez, MD, MPH, the American Heart Association's chief medical officer for prevention.
The Benefits of Aerobic Exercise for Your Posture, Weightline, and Mood
But according to Dr. Sanchez, aerobic exercise has numerous health advantages that go beyond heart health. "Controlling body weight, blood pressure, LDL ("bad") cholesterol, blood sugar, stress, sleep, and memory can all be enhanced by physical activity."
What the data indicates is as follows:
Advantages for Mental Health Moving around improves your mood. A September 2018 study published in The Lancet Psychiatry, involving 1.2 million participants, found that compared to nonexercisers, exercisers experienced roughly 1.5 fewer days of poor mental health.[4] All forms of exercise were found to boost mood, although team sports, cycling, and gym and aerobic workouts yielded the greatest results. According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, aerobic exercise has been demonstrated to lower the risk of anxiety and depression in adults and improve sleep quality and mood regulation to assist people in managing stress. [5]
Advantages of Losing Weight According to Jonesco, aerobic exercise burns calories, which, when paired with a nutritious diet, can help you burn fat and lose extra weight. According to StatPearls, a weight-management plan that works for obese people may include cardiovascular exercise. Aerobic exercise also helps with posture and muscle toning.
Benefits of Fitness With time, aerobic exercise increases your energy to work out, which might pave the way for a healthy lifestyle overall. Aerobic exercise can boost your stamina and give you more energy for work and play by enhancing your body's capacity to absorb and use oxygen as fuel, according to Jonesco.
Benefits for bones and joints According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), intermediate-to-intense aerobic activity, such as running or jumping rope, can help improve bone density in older people, as well as in people with osteoarthritis or other rheumatic disorders.[6] Advantages of Brain Health Exercise has been associated with a decreased risk of dementia and may help with aging-related cognitive decline. [7]
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