Editing Aerobic exercise (section)

{{short description|Low to high intensity physical exercise}}
[[File:Bicycles at Frederiksberg - Flickr - Kristoffer Trolle.jpg|thumb|300px|Cycling is an aerobic form of exercise.]]
'''Aerobic exercise''', also known as '''cardio''', is [[physical exercise]]<ref name="Exercise and Physical Fitness">{{Cite web|title=Exercise and Physical Fitness|url=https://medlineplus.gov/exerciseandphysicalfitness.html|website=medlineplus.gov|access-date=2020-04-30}}</ref> of low to high [[exercise intensity|intensity]] that depends primarily on the aerobic [[Adenosine triphosphate|energy]]-generating process.<ref name="PlowmanSmith2007">{{cite book| vauthors = Plowman SA, Smith DL |title=Exercise Physiology for Health, Fitness, and Performance|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fYiqixSbhEAC&pg=PT61|access-date=13 October 2011|date=1 June 2007|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|isbn=978-0-7817-8406-1|page=61}}</ref> "Aerobic" is defined as "relating to, involving, or requiring oxygen",<ref name="Cooper1997">{{cite book|title=Can stress heal?|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k75y6g5-aQAC&pg=PT40|access-date=19 October 2011|year=1997|publisher=Thomas Nelson Inc|isbn=978-0-7852-8315-7|page=40}}</ref> and refers to the use of [[oxygen]] to meet energy demands during exercise via [[Cellular respiration|aerobic metabolism]] adequately.<ref name="McArdleKatch2006">{{cite book| vauthors = McArdle WD, Katch FI, Katch VL |title=Essentials of exercise physiology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L4aZIDbmV3oC&pg=PA204|access-date=13 October 2011|year=2006|publisher=Lippincott Williams & Wilkins|isbn=978-0-7817-4991-6|page=204}}</ref> Aerobic exercise is performed by repeating sequences of light-to-moderate intensity activities for extended periods of time.<ref name="PlowmanSmith2007" />  According to the World Health Organization, over 31% of adults and 80% of adolescents fail to maintain the recommended levels of physical activity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=WHO |date=June 26, 2024 |title=Physical Activity |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity |access-date=Sep 23, 2024 |website=Physical Activity}}</ref> Examples of cardiovascular or aerobic exercise are medium- to long-distance [[running]] or [[jogging]], [[Human swimming|swimming]], [[cycling]], [[stair climbing]] and [[walking]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=10 great reasons to love aerobic exercise |url=https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/aerobic-exercise/art-20045541 |access-date=2024-05-15 |website=Mayo Clinic |language=en}}</ref>

For reducing the risk of health issues, 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise per week is recommended.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2022-01-25 |title=Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64 |url=https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-guidelines/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/ |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=NHS |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-22 |title=How much physical activity do adults need? |url=https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Physical activity |url=https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity |access-date=2023-08-21 |website=WHO |language=en}}</ref> At the same time, even doing an hour and a quarter (11 minutes/day) of exercise can reduce the risk of early death, [[cardiovascular disease]], [[stroke]], and [[cancer]].<ref>{{Cite journal |date=2023-08-14 |title=Small amounts of exercise protect against early death, heart disease and cancer |url=https://evidence.nihr.ac.uk/alert/small-amounts-of-exercise-protect-against-early-death-heart-disease-and-cancer/ |journal=NIHR Evidence |type=Plain English summary |publisher=National Institute for Health and Care Research |doi=10.3310/nihrevidence_59256|s2cid=260908783 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Garcia |first1=Leandro |last2=Pearce |first2=Matthew |last3=Abbas |first3=Ali |last4=Mok |first4=Alexander |last5=Strain |first5=Tessa |last6=Ali |first6=Sara |last7=Crippa |first7=Alessio |last8=Dempsey |first8=Paddy C |last9=Golubic |first9=Rajna |last10=Kelly |first10=Paul |last11=Laird |first11=Yvonne |last12=McNamara |first12=Eoin |last13=Moore |first13=Samuel |last14=de Sa |first14=Thiago Herick |last15=Smith |first15=Andrea D |date=2023-02-28 |title=Non-occupational physical activity and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and mortality outcomes: a dose–response meta-analysis of large prospective studies |journal=British Journal of Sports Medicine |language=en |volume=57 |issue=15 |pages=979–989 |doi=10.1136/bjsports-2022-105669 |issn=0306-3674 |pmc=10423495 |pmid=36854652}}</ref>

Aerobic exercise may be better referred to as "solely aerobic", as it is designed to be low-intensity enough that all carbohydrates are aerobically turned into energy via mitochondrial ATP production. [[Mitochondrion|Mitochondria]] are [[organelles]] that rely on oxygen for the metabolism of carbs, proteins, and fats. Aerobic exercise causes a remodeling of mitochondrial cells within the tissues of the liver and heart.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=O’Reilly |first1=Colleen L. |last2=Miller |first2=Benjamin F. |last3=Lewis |first3=Tommy L. |date=2023-01-01 |title=Exercise and mitochondrial remodeling to prevent age-related neurodegeneration |journal=Journal of Applied Physiology |language=en |volume=134 |issue=1 |pages=181–189 |doi=10.1152/japplphysiol.00611.2022 |issn=8750-7587 |pmc=9829476 |pmid=36519568}}</ref>