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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine pp 48–49Cite as

Aerobic Exercise

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Synonyms

Exercise; Moderate-vigorous physical activity

Definition

Aerobic exercise refers to the type of repetitive, structured physical activity that requires the body’s metabolic system to use oxygen to produce energy. Aerobic exercise improves the capacity of the cardiovascular system to uptake and transport oxygen. Aerobic activity can be undertaken in many different forms, with the common feature that it is achieved at a heart rate of 70–80% of a person’s age-appropriate maximum. Aerobic exercise is considered the cornerstone of endurance training, characterized by moderate energy expenditure over a prolonged period of time. Aerobic power or endurance is measured by VO2 max, a person’s maximal oxygen uptake.

Description

Aerobic exercise is different from, though related to, physical activity and exercise in general. Physical activity is a broad category that refers to all bodily movements that require skeletal muscle contraction and energy expenditure. Exercise is a subset of...

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References and Readings

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  • U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1996). Physical Activity and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, University of California, San Diego/San Diego State University, 3900 5th Avenue suite 310, San Diego, CA, 92103, USA

    Rachel Millstein

Authors
  1. Rachel Millstein
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rachel Millstein .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Behavioral Medicine Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc D. Gellman

  2. Cardiovascular Safety, Quintiles, Durham, NC, USA

    J. Rick Turner

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© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media, New York

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Millstein, R. (2013). Aerobic Exercise. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1087

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1087

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-1004-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4419-1005-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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