Aerobic and Anaerobic Exercises and Sports

Aerobic exercise and fitness can be contrasted with anaerobic exercise, of which strength training and weight training are the most salient examples. The two types of exercise differ by the duration and intensity of muscular contractions involved, as well as by how energy is generated within the muscle.

These activities are aerobic if they involve continuous exercise for at least 20 minutes. For the most part they are not considered aerobic, but can be excellent for muscle toning and stretching.

Stop-and-Go Exercises

Alpine Skiing. This can be aerobic if you ski hard enough to raise your heart rate and keep it up for 15 minutes or more. You need long runs for this.

Basketball. If you keep moving on the court this can be one of the best aerobic exercises.

Handball, Squash, and Racquetball. These sports can be highly aerobic if you are well matched with your opponents and have long, strenuous rallies. Handball is less likely to be aerobic than squash and racquetball.

Tennis. This can be aerobic if the rallies are long and you hit the ball hard and far, so that you and your opponent run a lot.

Badminton and Volleyball. These can be aerobic if they are power sports, not the kind of Sunday sports that you play on the beach. Usually, though, there is too much starting and stopping for them to be considered aerobic.

Field Hockey, Lacrosse, and Soccer. These field sports can be aerobic for players in forward positions if activity is constant for over 20 minutes. For fullback positions, definitely for the goalie, these are stop-start sports.

Calisthenics. Calisthenics are muscle-toning exercises like sit-ups, push-ups, leg lifts, and deep knee bends. They are very good for firming the body and making you more flexible, but they are not really aerobic exercises. Jumping jacks and running in place are aerobic calisthenics and are often combined with other calisthenic exercises in workouts, for a marvelous overall effect on the body.

Karate, Judo, Aikido, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do. These Far Eastern martial arts can be aerobic if your training sessions are intense workouts, two hours long. Beginners would not get aerobic benefits for some time. Matches are stop-an-go.

Fencing. This can be aerobic during training, but is a stop-and-go exercise during matches.

Water-Skiing. This can be aerobic if you ski steadily and move in and out of the wake a lot.

Nonaerobic Short-Duration Exercise

• Football
• Weightlifting
• Sprinting
• Isometrics
• Gymnastics
• Track-and-field sports (except running)