 Words to know before you read
Human physiology and energy Human physiology and energy All animals need and use energy. For humans, we eat food to get the energy we need to do work. It doesn't matter if we eat a green salad or a juicy steak, our body has to take the energy from the food we eat to make and store the energy we can use for things like running, jumping, and even doing homework. In fact, humans use energy all the time. This is because our cells are always busy and always at work, even when we are sleeping. The energy that our body uses to do work can either be fat or a sugar called glucose. If we do not use all the energy from eating each day our bodies can store it for use later as fat. If we continue to eat more energy than our body uses the buildup will cause us to gain weight in the form of fat. Some fat is good but too much fat can be harmful to your health. In addition to eating a healthy diet, one of the best ways to keep your body in “energy balance” is through, you guessed it, exercise. Exercise
Aerobic exercise Running, swimming, rowing, and bicycling are just a few of the exercises that can get your heart pumping. Try this, do 25 jumping jacks in two minutes and then feel what happens to your breathing and heart rate. With aerobic exercise, your heart rate and breathing increase so your body can deliver oxygen to your working muscles.
So the idea behind aerobic exercise is that you train your heart and muscles to be able to use energy more efficiently. When your heart is better able to deliver oxygen to your working muscles, exercise may seem easier for you. It is important to do aerobic exercise to keep your heart healthy. People who do aerobic exercise on a regular basis and are less likely to be overweight and more likely to be healthier. How much aerobic exercise is needed depends on your age? If you are young, at least 60 minute of aerobic activity is recommended for each day. Anaerobic exercise
Try this, how many push-ups can you do without stopping? Although you are not
lifting weights, you are using your body weight and gravity as resistance.
Push-ups are a good form of anaerobic exercise because most of your muscles are
working to push your body. Although going to a gym may seem cool, it is
important that you make sure you know how much weight you can handle and how to
do the exercise properly so you don’t get hurt.
Unlike aerobic exercise, there
are no specific recommendations for kids. So it is important that you
work with somebody to develop a good program. If you think you might like to try
weight-lifting check with your school PE teacher, or local YMCA and see they can
help you get started.
Exercise for your brain You can exercise for your health and you can also use your exercise routine
for your brain. By designing an experiment
around your workouts and activities you can soon learn how exercise changes your
body. You might expand your research to include your family and friends and
maybe even turn it into a fun science project for school. |
Exercise
can be broken down into two types, the kind that makes you
breathe a lot like running a mile and the other you can do even when holding
your breath, like lifting weights. Biologists call these aerobic exercise (with
air) and anaerobic exercise (without air). The words aerobic and anaerobic come
from the type of energy that is used during each form of exercise. Each of these
kinds of exercise can be performed at different intensities including: vigorous
(running as fast as you can), moderate (walking fast), or light and easy (walking
slowly). Usually the higher the intensity of exercise the more energy it will
require. Another important thing to remember about exercise and
energy is how long you do the exercise or what scientists call duration. 
Back
to the jumping jacks. If you
increase the intensity and duration of exercise by say doing 50 jumping jacks a
minute for two minutes, you will see an even bigger increase in your heart rate
and breathing. The heart itself is a muscle just like the ones in your arms and
legs. 
Heading
to the gym to lift weights, or climb the rock wall may not leave you breathless,
but they are exercise. Anaerobic exercise is just as important to your health.
For example, resistance training, like weight lifting, helps your muscles and bones
get stronger. Without enough strength it may be harder for you to carry
heavy packages or lift boxes.
