What does aerobic exercise consume?

When doing fitness exercises, you may often hear terms like: aerobic exercise and strength training. Moreover, many people who want to lose weight through exercise are always recommended to do more aerobic exercise. So, what kind of exercise is aerobic exercise? What does it mainly consume during exercise? Does aerobic exercise help lose weight?

Whether it is "aerobic exercise" is measured by heart rate. Exercise with a heart rate maintained at 150 beats/minute is aerobic exercise, because at this time the blood can supply the myocardium with sufficient oxygen; therefore, it is characterized by low intensity, rhythm, and long duration. Each exercise should last no less than 30 minutes, and should be done 3 to 5 times a week. This type of exercise allows oxygen to fully burn (i.e. oxidize) the sugar in the body, consume body fat, enhance and improve cardiopulmonary function, prevent osteoporosis, and regulate psychological and mental state. It is the main form of exercise for fitness. Therefore, if you are overweight and want to lose weight through exercise, it is recommended to choose aerobic exercise, such as jogging and cycling.

The purpose of aerobic exercise is to enhance cardiorespiratory endurance. During exercise, the muscles contract and a large amount of nutrients and oxygen are required, so the number of heart contractions increases and the amount of blood pumped out each time is more than usual. At the same time, the demand for oxygen also increases, the number of breaths is more than normal, and the lungs contract and expand to a greater extent. So when exercise continues and muscles contract for a long time, the heart and lungs must work hard to supply oxygen to the muscles and transport waste away from the muscles. This continuous demand can improve cardiopulmonary endurance. When cardiorespiratory endurance increases, the body can exercise for longer or at a higher intensity and is less likely to tire.

Aerobic exercise mainly consumes fat, so if you can stick to aerobic exercise, it will definitely help you lose weight. The most common aerobic exercises are jogging, swimming, cycling, brisk walking, etc. These exercises can be done at any time as long as there is time. They are very convenient, so people who want to lose weight might as well do more of these exercises.