Really hoping this turns out to be something interesting and meaningful. Over the next few weeks I am going to hopefully post 26 running articles about running with the topic being dictated by the letter in the alphabet. Today is the first so will start with the letter A.
'A' is for Aerobic Capacity
Aerobic training, in general terms means training with oxygen, at a low to moderate intensity, which should be sustainable for long periods of time. During this time muscles have fuel and oxygen to allow them to fatigue at a lower rate. Anaerobic training on the other hand means without oxygen, which include shorter and quicker bursts of power at higher intensity.
If done correctly aerobic training can strengthen your heart and lungs, help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. It can also help improve your immune system and lower blood pressure while burning calories and helping you lose weight.
If you are looking to improve your endurance and run further and faster, the goal of your training would be to improve your aerobic capacity and as you train the capacity at which your muscles can take up oxygen to use an energy source should also improve with time.
Ways To Improve Your Aerobic Capacity
The science behind improving your aerobic capacity is a little more involved than suggesting some quick training sessions, and hopefully I will be able to dive into the specifics further in the coming posts. But are here are three ways that you can get started in improving your aerobic capacity:
- Low intensity steady state runs are the first way to help improve your aerobic capacity as it does not cause a lot of stress on the body and can be performed on a regular basis.
- HIIT Training. High intensity interval training, although is basically a form of anaerobic training, your body relies on aerobic metabolism during the recovery periods. Although it is an effective way of training, it could cause injury or overtraining if you are using HIIT training session too often.
- Cross training is also a good way of improving your aerobic capacity. You are basically giving your body a break from running on specific days and performing a different form of training that will help build your aerobic capacity.