Aerobic Exercise

There are 2 main forms of exercise, these are aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise litlerally means exercise ‘with oxygen’. When we exercise aerobically, our body breaks down glycogen within our muscles and liver (glycogen is a storage compound of glulcose) to glucose. As our muscles as working they require energy tokeep contracting. This is produced by using oxygen to break down the muscle glucose into energy, a process known as aerobic respiration. If your muscles have run out of glycogen they can use fat to produce energy, however this is no where near as good as using glycogen.

There are many types of aerobic exercise, these include running, jogging, swimming, aerobics etc. Generally anything that you can do at a moderate intensity level over a long period of time is aerobic, e.g. running for an hour at a moderate pace is aerobic, whereas sprinting 100 meters isn’t.

There are many advantages to aerobic exercise, including strengthening and enlarging the heart, toning the muscles of the body, fat loss, improving circulation and a reduction in stress. These advantages can help to decrease the risk of you developing any cardiovascular problems and even help to prevent conditions such as osteoporosis. There can be some problems associated with aerobic exercise and it is a good idea to check that you have no conditions that may cause you problems by first consulting your doctor. There is also the risk of damaging joints within your body from overuse in some sports.

If you suffer from diabetes you are able to do aerobic and anaerobic exercise. It is important however that you consult your doctor first and always monitor your blood sugar levels. It is also a good idea to make sure you have some sugary snacks with you as your blood sugar levels may fall during your workout.

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