For most people, exercise is viewed as a necessary evil. We may not enjoy exercising, but we understand that it is an intergral component of a healthy lifestyle. As such, we go out there and just do whatever type of exercise is most conventient for us.

One reason why personal trainers and fitness experts can help us lose weight is because they can teach the right exercises for us and how to do it properly. Exercise can be classified into two categories: aerobic exercise and anaerobic exercise.

The difference between these two lies in the length and the intensity of the activity. For example, a physical activity that requires a burst of strength falls under anaerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, requires prolonged physical activity, often at lesser intensity.

Aerobic Exercises: Running long distances (marathon), riding a bicycle, playing tennis
Anaerobic Exercises: Running short distances (sprint), lifting weights, doing pushups and pullups

It is important to have a good mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise. When we exercise, glycogen is converted to produce glucose (an energy source for the body). When there are no more carbohydrates to convert into glucose, the body taps into the fat reserves, which triggers something called fat metabolism. Basically, this means that the body burns fat. It takes our bodies a long time before fat metabolism is triggered, and as such, can only be done through aerobic exercise.

Anaerobic exercise has its own advantages. A steady exercise regimen of lifting weight increases the body’s muscle mass, which also increases the body’s metabolic rate. The metabolic rate refers to the speed in which fat is burned. The higher the metabolic rate, the faster fat is burned.

The next time you think of exercising, try to vary your exercises between aerobic and anaerobic. Combining these two types of exercises can make the difference in your battle against the bulge!