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People around the world have been getting more and more conscious of their health in last few decades and the result is that there is a proliferation of different fitness techniques around the world today. One of the most popular and enduring fitness techniques is Aerobic Fitness. But, what exactly is the meaning and significance of Aerobic fitness and how can it impact you and your health?

What are Aerobic Exercises?

The word ‘Aerobic’ means ‘with oxygen’ and refers to body’s consumption for oxygen for metabolic purposes. Aerobic exercises thus refer to those fitness exercises that are concerned with improving the consumption and circulation of oxygen in the body. The main characteristic of aerobic exercises is that they performed over an extended period of time at a fast pace.

The Origins of Aerobic Exercises

Aerobics exercises were developed by two US Air Force officials- Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., an exercise physiologist, and Col. Pauline Potts, a physical therapist. The main reason to develop this fitness training was Dr. Cooper’s observation that athletes with great muscle mass were still unable to give sustained performance in their field of Sports. He discovered that the performance was hugely dependent on the person’s ability to absorb and utilize oxygen. With this in mind, he and Col. Potts created the Aerobics fitness training that enabled a person to consume as well as utilize adequate amount of oxygen into their blood stream.

The Significance of Aerobics Exercises

Since Aerobic exercises ensure that adequate oxygen is absorbed in the blood stream, they are significantly different from other fitness training programs like weight lifting which only focuses on increasing muscle mass. When oxygen is absorbed in the body, it helps burn glycogen to produce glucose, which in turn provides energy. In the absence of this oxygen, the glycogen tends to get converted to fat. Aerobic exercises are designed to be sustained over long periods of time to ensure that the body has enough time to break down the glycogen and convert it to energy. Regular performance of aerobic exercises will ensure that you have greater endurance power as well as improved performance ability in the long run.

The Benefits of Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic fitness exercises are known to have a large number of positive effects on the body. Some of them are outlined below:

• Improved performance of the respiratory system
• Aerobic conditioning of the heart, i.e. making the heart muscle larger and stronger, reducing heart rate and making it more efficient in pumping blood
• Decreasing the probability of a stroke
• Making all the muscles, ligaments, tendons and joints in the body stronger
• Increasing the efficiency of the blood circulatory system
• Reduction in blood pressure
• Improving the immune system
• Increasing the number of RBC in the body
• Improving mental health while warding off stress, anxiety and depression
• Improving metabolic system, hence allowing your body to burn fat faster and more efficiently
• Enabling muscles to recover speedily from any injury or strain
• Decreasing dependence on Insulin