Anaerobic exercise is any exercise that doesn’t use the oxygen in your body as its main source of energy. Therefore, anaerobic exercises require short, sudden bursts of energy. For example, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), weight lifting, circuit training, Pilates, yoga, and other forms of strength training.
Keep reading to find out how aerobic and anaerobic exercises differ, plus how to add them to your routine.
Anaerobic vs. Aerobic Exercise
The word aerobic means “with oxygen,” and anaerobic means the opposite—“without oxygen.” Anaerobic exercises are generally higher in intensity than aerobic exercises and, therefore, are shorter in duration.
Some examples of anaerobic exercises include sprinting, weightlifting, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
That doesn’t mean that anaerobic exercises don’t require oxygen—because, of course, you need it no matter what kind of exercise you do. What it means is that anaerobic exercises don’t make use of oxygen in the same way that cardio (or aerobic) activities do. Instead, anaerobic activities break down glucose that’s already in your muscles as a form of fuel, instead of using the oxygen you inhale during your exercise.
