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These two terms are always popping up all over anything that talks about fitness or working out. Which kind of workout are you doing, which kind do you want? Well.. how about what the heck are the differences?! Let’s take a look at some of the information regarding both, and set you up to decide what dose of each you want to add into your fitness routine!
Aerobic exercise can be simply defined as your daily cardio. This is when you’re going to work to increase your breathing and heart rate, and maintain the elevated rate for a sustained period of time. Common examples of Aerobic Exercise include running, swimming, or biking. Aerobic exercise is going to be the key factor for lowering your RHR (Resting Heart Rate), limiting your risk of heart disease, lowering blood pressure, your risk for diabetes, and a slue of other CARDIOvascular diseases (see what we did there). Now, while this seems like all good things, proceed with caution. If you are not used to an increased effort of sustained aerobic activity, it can be traumatic to the body to push too hard. If you’re new, start slow, with 10-15min of a comfortable activity at a time. Keep your heart rate in zone 2 (find your heart rate zone here) and just slowly increase the effort as you go.
Aerobic exercise can be key to improving overall wellness, but what about the other side?
Anaerobic exercise is the opposite. This is where you’re going to use quick bursts of energy performed at a maximum effort for a short period of time. We’re talking things like sprinting, weight lifting, CrossFit, and jumping. Anaerobic exercise is going to help you build strength, increase energy, burn fat, build muscle, and help you to be able to better preform daily activities ie. playing with your kids, dog, hiking, or dancing. Anaerobic exercise also comes with its inherent risks. Things like injury and wear on the body are far more common in anaerobic activities due to the quick maximum output required. This like aerobic exercise should be started slow. Start with activity that feels moderately comfortable and doesnt cause you too much exertion in the beginning. Hiring a personal trainer, or consulting with a professional can also be incredibly beneficial for beginners looking to start a strength, HIIT, CrossFit, or other anaerobic routine. Resistance bands are a great place to start if you’re not used to moving around weights but want to start strength training. We will link to a great starter kit here!
As always, consult a physician before beginning any new exercise routine to ensure you go about it the right way for your individual case.
We also recommend considering taking a good look at your nutrition before beginning any serious fitness routine, you need to ensure your body is adequately fueled for either type of exercise.
Wise wellness 
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