Often, people ask which outdoor sport can combine both aerobic and anaerobic exercise. This is a reasonable question because it is quite demanding.
Different outdoor sports can include both aerobic and anaerobic exercise; hence, there is no definite answer to this question.
There are many outdoor sports that combine both aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Football is a sport in which players must sprint up and down the field at high speed while expending physical effort to tackle opponents or intercept passes. Football is an example of a sport that combines both types of exercise.
This article will give you a detailed insight into aerobic outdoor sports and anaerobic outdoor sports, including their benefits. However, I recommend you to read this article on aerobic vs. anaerobic exercise to differentiate between the two types of exercises. This is vital for your understanding of outdoor sports that combine the kinds of exercises.
l will start by explaining what is an outdoor sport and how it differs from indoor sports. Then I will explain the different outdoor exercises which are aerobic and anaerobic, and which one combines the two.
What is an outdoor sport?
Outdoor sport refers to active recreational or sporting activities or physical exercise that takes place outside, be it an organized or individually. On outdoor sport includes secondary facilities such as sports fields, skateboard parks, paths, outdoor equipment, courses, and change rooms, but excludes stadiums and clubhouses.
Hiking, mountain climbing, cycling, dog walking, rock climbing, running, sailing, skiing, skydiving, and surfing are all typical outdoor recreational activities.
Indoor sports are carried in a space. Look, the table below helps to summarize the differences between outdoor and indoor activities.
| Characteristic | Outdoor sport | Indoors |
| Rules | Technical and more sophisticated | Fun and less complex |
| Uniforms | No uniforms because of a few numbers of players | Played in teams with designated uniforms |
| Players | Multiple players like in soccer | Played between 2 people. But exceptions exist. |
| Techniques | Require physical strength. | Require mental strength |
| Environment Restraints | Nature or environment cannot be controlled | Bad weather cannot restrain indoor sports |
| Equipment | Very vibrant equipment for team effort | No fancy equipment |
| Fitness | Good for entertainment physical fitness | Boost metabolic activities |
| Virtual Games | Cannot be played outdoor but some outdoor games like football is played in virtual games. | Indoor games in nature |
| Time Taken | Have a fixed time and schedule | Very time consuming |
| Effort Put In | More effort and physical energy | Less effort but become monotonous |
Aerobic outdoor sports and anaerobic outdoor sports
So as an athlete, you have sport fitness goals set by your coaching staff or just as an individual; you have set your long life fitness goals for your wellbeing and health. How to attain these goals is the question.
Read on to discover sports that combine both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Remember, engaging in one exercise type and ignoring the other will cost you some physiological adaptations and health benefits you could gain if you did combined training.
Combining Short bursts of high intensity exercise in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic) with running, swimming rollerblading, biking and high-intensity walking will help you reap all the wellbeing benefits of aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Aerobic outdoor sports
Aerobic activity causes a person to sweat and breathe heavily while the heart pumps blood through the circulatory system. It signifies that the heart and lungs have been strengthened to better handle the supply of oxygen throughout the body.
When exercising, aerobic refers to how well the body can use oxygen and meet the energy demands. For a better understanding, we will split aerobics into two categories: aerobic outdoor sports and aerobic indoor sports. In this article, we will talk more about aerobic outdoor sports.
Examples of aerobic outdoor sports
When the weather is sunny during the winter break, it is time to do aerobics outside. We leave our gyms and take part in some of the best activities to keep our bodies fit. Not that we don’t engage in aerobic outdoor activities; winter sports include ice skating, snowboarding, and skiing.
•Bicycling
Riding a bicycle is a fun and aerobic outdoor exercise you should go alone or in a group. This exercise concentrates on the lower body and has a reduced heat impact. To be safe, everyone who bikes should wear a helmet and pay close attention to the road.
•Swimming
It is the most popular outdoor aerobic activity in the world. Swimming is a low-impact workout that works the entire body.
•Hiking
It allows us to get out of our gyms and experience the outside world. Hiking is an outdoor cardiovascular activity that gives hikers an excellent lower-body workout and a craniosacral workout.
•Running/jogging
Going for a run outside in the sunshine is more exciting and adventurous than running indoors. Running is an aerobic outdoor door exercise that strengthens the cardiovascular system, burns fat, and improves your mood. Choose a safe running path, park, or trail, and wear sturdy running shoes. You should never neglect stretching after every run. It helps to prevent you from sustaining injuries.
•Walking
It is one of the simplest outdoor activities. You will be astonished at how much cardiovascular endurance you have gained simply by walking.
Benefits of aerobic and anaerobic outdoor sports
There are several advantages to exercise outside.
- It makes you sleep better: Being in the open air in contact with nature can help you with insomnia. If you want to receive enough fresh air, you can do that by doing these exercises regularly. This allows us to sleep tighter and improve sleep quality.
- Reduces stress and blood pressure: Compared to indoor training, frequent outdoor exercise is less difficult and has been shown to lessen tension, stress, anxiety, and depression. Outdoor physical activities have been shown to reduce blood pressure and heart rate in studies.
- It reduces the risk of sustaining a heart disease: Aerobic outdoor sports have to do with physical activities that allow blood to be pushed sufficiently through the arteries, veins, and capillaries in the body to keep the heart very efficient.
- Outdoor exercise exposes you to the sun: This allows you to gain the vitamin D we require from the sun. Sunlight also boosts energy production in muscles and tissue oxidation, and there’s something extra about it that automatically elevates your spirits. When working out in the sun, make sure you’re well-hydrated, apply sunscreen, and limit your exposure to the sun.
- Assist with weight management or weight loss: People who get engaged in a variety of aerobic outdoor activities burn a lot of fat. This leads to weight loss while also keeping their bodies in good shape.
- It helps to lessen diabetes risk: If you want to have better control of your sugar level, do a lot of outdoor aerobic and anaerobic exercises. You should do this regularly as well.
- It also helps to enhance the mental health and self-esteem of people who take part in them frequently.
Safety tips for aerobic and anaerobic outdoor sports
Consider the following safety tips when doing all aerobic outdoor sports.
- Stay hydrated: If you want to take on outdoor sports, have in mind that you have to stay hydrated always. Staying hydrated means drinking plenty of water or a sports drink before and after working out. Ensure to always bring a bottle of water with you when you go for a run.
- Keep cool by exercising early in the morning or late in the evening, avoiding exercising when the sun is at its hottest, and wearing light-colored sport clothing.
- Stop exercising, stretch your muscles gently, and drink plenty of water if you have muscular cramps while working out.
- Always check with your doctor before doing outdoor aerobics to see if there are any restrictions. This is mostly for people with hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, and other medical issues who require medical counseling before beginning.
- You should always go to the hospital for a check-up if you have breathing difficulties during exercise.
Anaerobic outdoor sports
Anaerobic outdoor exercise is quite similar to aerobic outdoor exercise. Their difference is that they use different energy. Anaerobic exercises burn calories swiftly and efficiently. Anaerobic exercises are high-intensity workouts performed for shorter periods, whereas aerobic exercises are variable-intensity workouts performed for longer periods. This form of exercise has many health advantages. It helps to increase your cardiovascular endurance and build and maintain muscle. It also helps in weight loss. Anaerobic exercise should be included in your weekly outdoor program.
Examples of anaerobic outdoor sports
Baseball: Baseball combines both aerobic and anaerobic exercises.
Running sprints
Sprinting is a fantastic anaerobic workout sport that exerts energy bursts and is beneficial to one’s heart and overall health. For efficient benefits, you can change your running pace from time to time.
If you want to increase your length and your speed, all you need to do is practice more often. You should run for at least 15 to 30 minutes to get the optimum outcomes.
High-speed swimming
Swimming is an anaerobic exercise. Begin by swimming at your normal pace. Then accumulate your swimming speed and sustain it for a minute. Resuming your regular pace, continue the cycle. Continue swimming in this manner for at least half an hour.
American Football and soccer
These sports combine both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. There are times the players are involved in burst of energy expenditure with limited or no oxygen present in the muscles. Most of the time, the players are running or jogging, which is purely aerobic.
Rope jumping
You can change the speed and length of your jumping for anaerobic respiration. Jumping rope at a normal speed will make jumping an aerobic exercise. Therefore, the difference in speed will determine if it is anaerobic or anaerobic exercise.
Which outdoor sport can combine both aerobic and anaerobic exercise?
- Snowboarding
- Skiing
- Hiking
- Swimming
Hiking is an outdoor activity that can provide both aerobic and anaerobic workouts.
Anaerobic workout is an exercise that doesn’t use oxygen to break down glucose in the body. Aerobic workout is any activity that requires the usage of oxygen. Hiking is a great way to get both aerobic and anaerobic workouts at the same time.
The benefits of combining aerobic and anaerobic exercises
- Arthritis prevention is important: Muscles that are stronger protect articulations better.
- It helps to increase your insulin sensitivity. This type of activity helps cells respond to insulin more effectively, which lowers blood glucose levels.
- Greater physical strength means better performance in daily activities like climbing stairs, lifting heavy goods, walking, and picking up your kids, so your overall quality of life will improve.
- Reduces your chances of sustaining an injury: Muscle contracture and sprains are less likely to occur if you have a larger amount of muscle mass. Your posture will improve as well, reducing your chance of injuries and common conditions like lower back pain.
- Muscular training is one of the main benefits of outdoor sports. Read the Ultimate Guide When Performing Muscular Training Exercises
Wrapping up
Engaging in one type of exercise and leaving out the other will make you lose out on specific physiological adaptations and benefits.
Combined training in which both aerobic and anaerobic exercise are incorporated into your fitness program will make you reap all the health benefits you can receive from both exercises
You need to plan: decide on your fitness goals and have a weekly program in mind. For an athlete, you specify your activities to be close to those in your competitive sport. For a health seeking individual, the means is as good as the end.
Aerobic outdoor sports and anaerobic outdoor sports are very beneficial because you are exposed to fresh air which helps to reduce anxiety and depression.
Outdoor sports are also beneficial in that they expose you to sun rays, allowing you to gain vitamin D from the sun. Always choose outdoor sports over indoor sports if you have the opportunity.
I will recommend that you read CrossFit Pre Workout: What to Eat Before CrossFit
Shop the Best Sports Wear
FAQs about Outdoor sports that combine both aerobic and anaerobic exercise
Can you do aerobic and anaerobic at the same time?
The best way will be to organize one program to include low to moderate-intensity exercise /aerobic exercise. You can then take turns with anaerobic training on another day.
Is it a good idea to do both aerobic exercises and anaerobic exercises?
Yes, you can! To build both your cardiovascular system and your spine and your muscle, the best way will be to include both aerobic and anaerobic exercises while you workout.
Is basketball aerobic or anaerobic?
Basketball is an anaerobic sport that requires a large percentage of Type II fast-twitch muscle fiber. Distance running is an aerobic activity that requires the use of Type I or slow-twitch muscle fibers.
Is swimming aerobic or anaerobic?
For those with most types of arthritis, swimming is a wonderful cardiovascular/ aerobic activity with a cooling effect. It can relieve stress on your joints, relieve you from back pain, and help you avoid injuries.
You must work harder than usual to make swimming anaerobic. Perform four to ten 50-meter sprints using a stroke of your choice after a mild warmup comprising several laps at a slow, gentle speed.
Which of the following outdoor sport is not aerobic?
- Hiking
- Swimming
- Skydiving
- Cycling
Skydiving is the right answer.
Swimming, cycling, skiing, hiking, aerobic classes, spinning, running, walking, and other aerobic workouts are just a few examples. Aerobic exercises are exercises that require the use of oxygen.
Which of the following is not a benefit of outdoor exercise?
- High injury risk.
- Availability of vitamin D.
- Improves your vision.
- Reduces anxiety and depression.
High injury risk is not a benefit of outdoor exercise. Therefore, A is correct.
Which of the following is not true about extreme sports?
- They are a non-team type of sports.
- They are mostly done by old people.
- Extreme sports are characterized by high speeds.
- They usually include a lot of risks.
They are mostly done by old people, which is the correct answer.
Explanation: Extreme sports, also known as adventure sports, are recreational activities that are regarded to involve a high level of risk and are frequently taken part in by young people. Because these types of sports are rarely organized by sports governing bodies, they are not governed by national organizations. Governments have occasionally prohibited these sports because of their high level of risk.
