Properly dosed physical activity have a beneficial effect on the body. They allow you to achieve an ideal figure, increase muscle tone and even strengthen the human immune system. However, to get the desired result, you need to correctly compose a set of exercises and choose their optimal intensity. What types of physical exertion exist and for what purposes they are most suitable, we will tell in our article.
Load classification
Sports activities are performed for some specific purpose. This may be supporting muscle tone, losing weight, recovering from an injury, or preparing for sports. In each case, the types of physical activity and their intensity will be different, so they are usually divided according to the following classification:
- aerobic;
- anaerobic;
- interval;
- hypoxic.
Our body is exposed to some of these loads on a daily basis, while others may be completely beyond the strength of a novice athlete. Let's look at the differences between each species and for what tasks you should choose one or another option.
Aerobic exercise group
Aerobic exercise (or cardio) is a complex of simple exercises that are aimed at enriching the cells with the necessary amount of oxygen, increasing the body's defenses and training its stability.
Our body is exposed to these loads daily: during a trip to the store, in the process of cleaning the apartment, on the way to work and during walking. Also include:
- riding a bicycle;
- water sports;
- skiing, skating, rollerblading;
- daily gymnastics;
- walking up the stairs;
- dance classes, etc.
This group includes almost all options for active pastime. To support the body in good shape, this is an ideal form of physical activity.
Aerobic exercise is considered the safest. They can be performed by people of different ages, regardless of the level of training. Patients who have suffered serious injuries and have chronic diseases are recommended precisely such loads. However, in this case, the intensity of classes and the reaction of the body should be strictly controlled by the attending physician.
Anaerobic exercises and methods for their implementation
Anaerobic group of exercises includes types of physical activity, characterized by increased severity and intensity. This includes strength exercises that are performed by athletes with the goal of increasing muscle mass, and training the body's stamina.
Exercises are performed using heavy dumbbells, barbells and various simulators. Their main essence is the short-term movement of gravity without moving the body. The final result is a significant increase in muscle tissue and high strength indicators. However, you should know that in the process of rapidly increasing muscle volume, their elasticity is significantly reduced.
Anaerobic exercise is contraindicated and not recommended for people over 40 years old. Nevertheless, it is possible to perform exercises with moderate weights, allowing you to maintain the body in good physical shape: lift dumbbells to 5 kg, use rubber or spring expanders.
Interval exercise group: what are their features?
During training, athletes can alternate and combine different types of physical activity (and their intensity). In this case, they talk about the interval load, when classes include elements of the first and second kind.
For example, young and healthy men involved in a heavy sport, it is mandatory to perform aerobic exercises. That is, during their training, heavy exercises and light running alternate. At the same time, athletes can additionally use large loads that affect a specific muscle group. In sports, types of physical activity alternate constantly, especially when it comes to professional training.
Hypoxic load
They are used for endurance training of professional athletes. Hypoxic stress refers to heavy exercise, as they are performed in conditions of oxygen deficiency, when a person is at the limit of his abilities.
The main goal of this type of training is to minimize the process of acclimatization of the body in an unusual environment. Hypoxic exercises are used to train the respiratory system of climbers, who often reside in high altitude conditions where rarefied air prevails .
The principle of choosing the types of physical activity (by the nature of the impact)
The right choice of optimal exercises is the key to obtaining the desired result. That is why before starting training, you need to clearly define the final goal. It could be:
- rehabilitation after injuries, operations and chronic diseases;
- recovery and restoration of strength, stress relief after a hard day;
- maintaining the body in existing physical form;
- increased stamina and increased body strength.
The choice of load in the second and third options usually does not cause difficulties. But exercises with a therapeutic goal to choose independently is much more difficult. Thinking about what types of physical activity are most effectively restored, one should take into account the current state and capabilities of a person.
The same exercise can be very effective for an athlete in moderate physical shape and is absolutely useless for a beginner athlete. Therefore, the choice of a training program should be based on the principle of threshold loads, and it is better if the trainer is well aware of the condition and capabilities of the athlete.
Types of loads
In addition to the basic classification of training, there is a division of exercises into several types. Each of them is aimed at developing a specific quality.
By the nature of the effect on the body, there are several main types of physical activity:
- power;
- high-speed;
- on flexibility;
- to develop agility and coordination abilities.
In order to get the maximum benefit from training, they should be performed in accordance with certain rules, which we will discuss below.
Strength exercises
Strength exercises help keep the body in good shape, slow down the aging process of tissues, prevent the development of various cardiovascular diseases. It is important that all major muscle groups receive the load , since inactive tissues are deprived of the necessary substances, which leads to their aging.
A positive effect from strength exercises is achieved if the load gradually increases, but at the same time it corresponds to the state of human health. Burdening of loads and their repetition should also increase gradually. Exercises with an uncontrolled number of repetitions are absolutely unsuccessful for training endurance and strength.
In recreational exercises, physical activity (the classification and types of which are prescribed by the doctor) is based on unsaturated burdens and a clearly established number of repetitions. This method of selecting loads allows you to achieve a result and avoid injuries.
At the initial stages of training, weights should be used no more than 40% of the maximum possible according to the state of the body. Further, the load can be selected so that the maximum number of repetitions of the exercise is about 8-12 times. And for the muscles of the forearm, neck, lower leg and abdomen it would reach 15-20 times (with pauses between sets of 1-3 minutes).
Speed type loads
Such training does not require a person of great stamina and strong stress. They have a positive effect on both young and aging body. In the latter case, speed exercises are considered especially relevant. After all, the main sign of a withering organism is not only the extinction of its motor functions, but also the slowdown of movements.
High-speed loads should not be carried out longer than 10-15 seconds. Long exercises (30 to 90 seconds) should be performed with a decrease in power. Exactly such exercises, alternating with short time intervals for rest, maximize the slowdown of the aging process of cells. In order to support the body in an optimal form, speed exercises are recommended to be performed during each exercise.
The benefits of elasticity of muscles, ligaments, joints
Flexibility exercises are the most popular types of exercise in physical education. They are included in school classes for children of the youngest grades. Such loads contribute to maintaining flexibility and mobility of the joints and spine. In addition, the positive effects of such loads include:
- prevention of excessive wear of the joints;
- preventing the development of arthritis;
- improvement of the condition of the joint bag;
- prevention of osteochondrosis.
The elasticity of muscles, joints and ligaments significantly reduces the likelihood of injury, contributes to the speedy recovery of muscle tissue after physical exertion. Flexibility exercises perfectly relax muscles, improve their tone.
The absence of such loads leads to enslavement of tissues. Energy that could be used for recovery is wasted, and the muscle itself suffers from a lack of oxygen.
What other training is needed
Dexterity and coordination abilities are no less important qualities required by a person throughout his life. In the absence of systematic training, these skills gradually decrease. What types of physical activity should be included in training to develop these abilities? Everything is as simple as that. Various sports games will be the best option: tennis, table, badminton, etc.
Light sports train agility perfectly and are a good prevention of cardiovascular disease. Such loads do not have age restrictions, but it is very difficult to dose them. For this reason, in the process of training, you need to control your own breathing and monitor the heart rate.
Dexterity training with the help of sports games significantly increases the adaptive abilities of the body, and exercises that require constant attention train well the mental reaction. A person begins to make complex decisions faster and acts faster in unforeseen situations.
As we saw, any kind of physical activity can positively affect a person. However, to achieve maximum results, training should be systematic and include several types of exercises at the same time. Thus, it is possible to ensure a high degree of body resistance to adverse factors, as well as constantly develop and improve new skills. The main thing is to remember, no matter what type of load you choose, it is important to always know the measure!