There are many ways in which you can improve your endurance through different types of aerobic exercise and it’s important to use a variety of them in order to have a more complete fitness.
VO2 max refers to the ability of the body to transport and utilise red blood cells for oxidative energy. As you run faster and longer the heart will begin to beat faster to supply the body with more oxygen, as you increase the intensity however it eventually reaches a plateaux where it can no longer increase – and this rate is the VO2 max. To improve your VO2 max you can use ‘Long Slow Distance Training’ (or LSD which yes, sounds like the drug) which is basically the kind of training you associate with improving CV normally – running long distances at a fairly steady pace (at about 70% of your maximum heart rate (which you can work out as 220 minus your age)). You should do this about 30 minutes (obviously in every example in this article you can substitute for different types of aerobic exercise such as swimming, cycling etc).
There are many other ways you can improve your endurance and fitness however and many types of aerobic exercise to help to so. One of these other methods is to improve your body’s ability to utilise creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate is needed by our bodies to recycle ATP (andenosine triphosphate), AKA the ‘universal energy currency’ of life. Made from three phosphates held together by powerful high-energy bonds, it is by breaking these bonds that the body then releases energy and powers muscles. This leaves the biproducts of ADP and AMP (andenosine diphosphate and andenosine monophosphate respectively) which are made from double and single phosphates as the names imply. The role of creatine phosphate then is to recombine these phosphates into ATP once again so that they can be reused for energy. To improve this ability in the body you should run as flat-out as possible for fifteen seconds (perhaps by sprinting 100 metres though remember this can be substituted with swimming etc) then rest for the next four to five minutes (by walking back for example – not actually by just sitting down), then repeat for several repetitions. Sometimes this is known as anabolic running.
Another byproduct of this process is lactic acid which comes from the muscles metabolising glucose for energy. If too much lactic acid is allowed to build up it will cause your muscles to ache and will limit their strength and endurance. To help the body to dispose of lactic acid, train in a similar manner to that described above but this time run as fast as possible for one minute and then rest for four to five. This will not only help to dispose of lactic acid, but will also increase the amount of myoglobin and mhaemoglobin in the blood, which are the cells that contain oxygen and carry it around the body for energy. As well as increasing the body’s capacity to dispose of lactic acid however, you can also improve its tolerance to that lactic acid making the acid that does build up less of a debilitating issue. To Train for this, work flat out for two minutes (or to failure) then follow this immediately with rest for two minutes.
With all these different types of aerobic exercise on offer, and each one crucial for improvement in different areas, it’s fortunate then that there are ways we can train for all of them in one workout. Here we alternate between running, walking, sprinting, jogging, striding etc in order to force the body to adapt to a variety of different types of stress, and the names include ‘Fartlek training’ (where you use random bursts of different speeds), ‘interval training’ (where you cycle through three speeds in intervals) and ‘pick up sprint training’ (where you gradually increase your pace at every 50 metres).
So in ‘Types of Aerobic Exercise’ we discussed the different ways in which you can vary the intensity and duration of aerobic exercise in order to affect different elements of the body’s ability to cope with extended exertion. This included increasing its ability to transport and utilise oxygen, increasing the number of transport blood cells, increasing its ability to dispose of and tolerate lactic acid and improving it’s ability to recycle ATP with creatine phosphate. However as well as varying the way you train your aerobic fitness you can also vary the actual activity types of aerobic exercise. Below is a list of different types of aerobic exercise and the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Running – Running is possibly the most popular form of aerobic exercise, largely this is because it can be done almost anywhere and with no need for any equipment. A downside of running however is that it’s a high impact activity which means it places stress on the bones and joints and can lead to a stress fracture. This can be avoided by either running indoors on a softer treadmill (though this is still fairly high impact) or by running on grass (slightly better but still not perfect). Running indoors in a gym will also help you to avoid having your run rained off, but on the other hand you will miss out on the fresh air and varied scenery and terrain. While running machines do have variables you can set for the speed and incline, it won’t beat the positive affect of running up and down hills and on tarmac and sand as you do outdoors. Ensure if you do use a treadmill that you always have at least a slight incline so that you do not place further unnecessary strain on your knees.
Swimming – Swimming is a fantastic way to keep fit and is one of the best types of aerobic exercise. This is because it has no impact and places no strain on the joints or bones meaning you can do it even if you have an injury, and because it trains every muscle in the body meaning you tone your physique as well as just stripping fat. The only downside is that it’s effort and hassle getting to a swimming pool and that the slower pace means that the heart rate isn’t increased quite the same amount.
Cycling – Cycling again is low impact and can offer even more resistance than running when going up hill. Additionally if you cycle outdoors you will also get to see a larger variety of scenery (though you can’t really cycle on the beach or so easily across a field). The only real downsides are that you need to actually have a bike, it can get sweaty and achy, and that it can lead to an imbalance between the hamstrings and quadriceps.
Skipping – Skipping is a great form of CV that’s cheap, easy and can be done on the spot. It’s high impact and you need to clear a fairly large space but those are the only downsides. Skipping also keeps you light on your toes and it good for timing and coordination and is a very efficient fat burner making it one of the favourite types of aerobic exercise among boxers.
Shadow Boxing – Shadow boxing is an excellent way to burn calories that’s also kind of fun and tones the muscles. It’s mostly low impact too and can be done in doors. You can also spruce it up by using a mirror or dramatic music and these are the reasons that it’s my personal favourite form of CV.