Before performing any exercise, it is recommended that you warm up by walking, jogging, or doing basic calisthenics related to the activity to be performed. A warm up should also include rhythmic limbering exercises or light stretches. Cooling down after exercise is also very beneficial to the body. A cool-down involves deliberate reduction of the intensity of the exercise, finishing with some stretching. An active cool-down period provides for adequate pumping of blood through the dilated blood vessels of the working muscles and ensures adequate venous return of blood to the heart.
Anaerobic exercise involves short intense spurts of energy as in weight lifting or sprinting.
Aerobic exercise involves lower intensity, prolonged activities, such as jogging or aerobic dance. When discussing energy expenditure during physical activity, it is helpful to understand the energy systems in the body. Separation of the ATP molecule is what creates energy. The aerobic systems used in production of ATP are called the Krebs Cycle and the Electron Transport Chain, both of which are time-consuming processes resulting in a larger energy production than anaerobic systems. The anaerobic systems are called the ATP-CP system and anaerobic glycolysis.