Walking up a steep hill can cause one to become “out of breath” rather quickly and typically is associated with burning sensations in your legs. This type of activity is referred to as anaerobic, which simply means performing a movement that demands greater oxygen to perform. The slow burn is associated with a waste product that accumulates in the muscles, known as lactate, which is a by product of the greater demands of oxygen that is is being asked of the body.
Conversely, aerobic activities such as walking at a slow pace, can be sustained for a longer duration, as the demands require less effort hence more oxygen is available.
Through differentiating how the body reacts to various activities, we can condition our bodies accordingly through what is defined as anaerobic vs aerobic exercises. In terms of training activities such as weight training or sprinting, the program designs to develop the anaerobic system should incorporate short, brief, intense bursts of exercise.
For example, HIIT(high intensity interval training) is a style of training that demands intense, explosive movements, performed in a short period of time, followed by short, brief rest periods.
There is a style of body weight training known as Tabata, which has been embraced by athletes and those individuals that are looking to enhance or develop their fitness level. Tabata consists of a series of weight resistant or body weight exercises that are performed consecutively with short periods followed by brief rest periods. For example, the work to rest ratio could be 20:10(20 second work:10 seconds rest). This could involve a series of 8 exercises performed consecutively in this format.
This style of training allows for a very effective workout regime that can quickly develop your anaerobic fitness. That being said, this form of training although highly effective, is quite demanding and one needs to scale their workout based on their current fitness level and goals.
Conversely, aerobic conditioning, includes activities that are performed at a slower, more sustainable pace. A good rule of thumb or guideline to follow that will determine if your using anaerobic or aerobic activities, is based on how heavy your breathing. For example, you are engaging in aerobic activities, when you are able to carry on a normal conversation with an individual without being breathless. Typically, walking or jogging at a slow pace, sustained over a longer period of time, will yield benefits in developing your aerobic fitness levels.
Both anaerobic and aerobic forms of activities are both highly beneficial to developing our overall fitness level and cardiovascular/muscular health.
Be Blessed And Fit.