5 Anaerobic Exercises to Include in Your Next Workout

Planning your next workout session? Don't forget to incorporate anaerobic exercises into your routine.

Anaerobic exercises are performed at a higher intensity and power, with the goal of releasing a lot of energy within a small duration. Training your muscles at high levels of intensity enhances your anaerobic skills, allowing you to work even harder and for longer durations.

Anaerobic exercises come with a plethora of health benefits. They improve cardiovascular strength, develop muscles, and help reduce weight. Some common examples of anaerobic exercises include HIIT, Pilates, power yoga, weightlifting, sprinting, etc.

Don’t know where to start? Consider the following anaerobic exercises to start your training.

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Mountain climbers, burpees, and 3 other great anaerobic exercises to do in your next workout

For each exercise discussed below, start slow, especially if you are new to workouts or recovering from an injury.

1) Sprinting

Sprinting is one of the best anaerobic exercises that’s good for overall cardiovascular health. It burns calories and develops muscles, thereby making you stronger and more powerful. Plus, it improves speed, controls blood pressure, and promotes weight loss.

To sprint, start running speedily with your head, shoulders, and neck in line with your hips. Swing your arms from front to back, and do not allow them to cross your torso. Keep enough distance between your legs while running, and do not step too far forward. Most importantly, ensure that you run with your knees high.

To make the most out of sprinting, vary your pace after every few minutes and try to increase your duration. Aim to sprint for at least 15 minutes every day.

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2) Mountain climbers

Mountain climbers are among the most effective anaerobic exercises that target multiple muscle groups at the same time. They boost mobility and promote overall functional fitness.

Start the exercise by taking a high plank position with your abs engaged and your back straight. Move your left knee towards your left shoulder and then bring it back to the start. Repeat the movement with your right knee, and continue to alternate between both legs.

Start slow and try to increase your speed gradually. Complete as many reps as you can.

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3) Frog jumps

Frog jumps are a great anaerobic exercise to increase speed and power. They majorly work on the lower body muscles, including the glutes, thighs, and hamstrings. Plus, they help reduce lower body fat.

With your feet at shoulder distance, stand tall and lower yourself down into a partial squat position. Place your arms on the sides and hold this posture. Now explosively jump forward and land softly a few feet in front of your initial position.

As you land, bend your knees and push your hips back to get into the squat posture again. Jump again, but this time, jump a few feet back and land where you started.

Continue the back and forward jumps in a continuous cycle for a few counts.

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4) Burpees

The burpee is a great full-body anaerobic exercise that strengthens the muscles while also improving your power and agility. It combines squats, push-ups, and jumps while targeting both upper body and lower body muscles.

Start by standing with your feet at shoulder distance and take a squat position. Move your hands to the floor right in front of you and position them at a shoulder-width distance.

Jump to bring your feet back to get into a plank position and immediately perform a push-up. Next, jump and bring your feet forward, raise your arms and stand back up to the starting position.

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5) Plyo lunges

Plyo lunges or jump lunges offer a powerful cardio workout and help develop muscles in the hamstrings, glutes, quads, and hip flexors.

Stand tall with your feet at shoulder distance and abs engaged at all times. Take a big step forward with your right foot while keeping your arms on the side. Shift your body weight forward so that your heels touch the ground. Lower your body so that your forward leg gets parallel to the floor.

Now jump as high as you can while quickly switching your foot position and landing with your opposite leg in the front. Repeat the exercise for a few reps while switching legs on every jump.

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Takeaway

Now that you know about these easy and effective anaerobic exercises, add them to your next workout session to attain the benefits.

Just ensure that you perform each movement correctly so that you don’t unnecessarily strain or injure your muscles.