Exercise is the best thing you can do to improve your health and physical abilities. In fact, it can extend your life and help prevent certain diseases such as some cancers, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Although all exercise is good, not all exercise has the same effects on your body. Let’s explore six common types of exercise and their benefits.
Aerobic Exercise
This type of exercise, also called cardio, gets your heart pumping. Some form of aerobic activity should be the foundation of any fitness program.
Many health experts agree that aerobic exercise is essential to any routine. The more cardio you do, the more your body adapts. Furthermore, you’ll notice over time that you’re becoming stronger and able to exercise longer. Aerobic exercise helps burn excess calories, which can result in weight loss. Additionally, it increases your stamina and lowers your resting heart rate. Also, it improves your mood and helps decrease stress and anxiety.
Most importantly, aerobic exercise can increase your life expectancy. In other words, those who exercise regularly typically live longer than those who don’t.
Any activity that raises your heart rate and increases your breathing can be an example of aerobic exercise, especially if those activities are done continuously at a moderate or greater intensity.
Some examples of this type of exercise are:
Balance or Stability Training
You need balance to do almost everything, such as walking, standing, or reaching. Balance training can be challenging. Some movements, such as certain yoga poses, are difficult, while others are easier, like standing on one leg.
Balance training doesn’t require running, jumping, or other high-intensity exercises. Instead, you usually do slow, methodical movements. Balance training focuses more on strengthening muscles and improving stability. Therefore, you are not generally doing exercises that improve flexibility or are cardio-focused.
Anyone can do balance training as it improves health, balance, and performance regardless of age or ability. In fact, it’s an excellent place to start if you’re new to exercise. Balance training strengthens the muscles that help keep you upright, such as your legs and core muscles. They improve stability and help prevent falls.
Some examples of this type of exercise are:
- core strengthening exercises
- pilates
- tai chi
- yoga
Calisthenics
You use your body weight to perform Calisthenics. For the most part, you will not need any special equipment. However, some types of Calisthenics require equipment such as a pullup bar.
Calisthenics can be done wherever there is enough room to move. They involve compound movements, meaning you use multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Also, compound movements usually burn more calories within a short time. Calisthenics can improve your balance, coordination, and endurance.
Some examples of this type of exercise are:
- crunches or sit-ups
- lunges
- pullups
- pushups
- squats
Flexibility Training
Flexibility allows your body to move through a range of motion. Poor flexibility can impact your health in several ways. For example, you may experience muscle fatigue easily, a decreased range of motion, or injure yourself by overstretching from daily tasks.
Improving your flexibility can strengthen your core muscles. Your core muscles stabilize your body, help you balance, and reduce your chances of falling. This type of exercise helps muscle recovery, maintains range of motion, and prevents injuries. However, pushing yourself too hard or stretching beyond your capabilities can work against you. Take it slow and steady, and stop if you begin to feel any pain.
Some examples of this type of exercise are:
- stretching
- yoga
High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
This type of exercise is challenging and takes your cardio to another level. In fact, you can do it with any aerobic exercise. You’ll work up a sweat quickly by working at a very intense level, followed by a slower recovery period. For example, instead of running at a steady pace, you would run for 30 seconds to 3 minutes at a faster pace than usual. Next, you would recover by running slower or walking for 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Then, you would repeat this cycle several more times.
Overall, HIIT helps you lose weight and build muscle. HIIT will also burn more calories for about 2 hours after exercise. This type of exercise can save you time since you don’t have to work out as long as you would if you exercised at a steady pace.
Strength Training
This type of exercise incorporates physical movements in which you use your body weight or equipment, such as weights or resistance bands, to build muscle and improve muscle endurance. Strength training puts your muscles under stress and tension to stimulate muscle growth.
Strength training makes you stronger. Therefore, you can perform daily tasks such as carrying groceries and house chores more easily. Additionally, it improves performance in sports that require speed, power, and strength.
Furthermore, strength training can lower your risk of falling and other injuries because it helps improve strength, range of motion, and mobility in your muscles, ligaments, and tendons. This type of exercise can also help correct muscle imbalances.
Strength training can improve mood, reduce anxiety, and boost self-confidence. For example, a review of 11 studies showed a link between strength training and body satisfaction, self-perception, and reduced feelings of others judging their appearance.
Some examples of this type of exercise are:
- body-weight exercises
- circuit training
- resistance training
- plyometrics
- sprinting
- weight lifting
Which Types Of Exercise Are Best?
The best types of exercise consist of activities that you enjoy doing every day. Fortunately, most exercises and activities may touch on more than one type of exercise. However, it’s essential to provide some variety in your routine where you build in rest days or a lighter load to reduce your chance of injury or burnout. Therefore, if you find two or three activities you enjoy, you can build a weekly routine that provides a variety of activities and their benefits. For example, you may enjoy running. Instead of running the same workout every day, you may break it up by alternating days between walking, cycling, rest, or yoga.
If you’re new to exercise, then it’s essential to consult your healthcare provider and get a medical examination. This is especially important if you will partake in vigorous activities. Furthermore, a checkup may detect any health issues that could put you at risk of an injury while exercising. Also, you can talk with a personal trainer to help optimize a workout and create a plan that works best for you.
The Takeaway
There are many types of exercise, and they each have their benefits. If you have specific fitness goals, you will want to include different types of exercise in your routine. Regardless, it’s important to find activities that you enjoy. You will have more fun exercising and are more likely to make exercise a lifelong habit. When exercise is a lifelong habit, you increase your chances of staying stronger, healthier, and more mobile as you age.
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Disclaimer: No content on this site should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
