aerobic

adjective aer·o·bic \ ˌer-ˈō-bik \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Examples: aerobic in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of aerobic

1 : living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen

aerobic respiration

2 : of, relating to, or induced by aerobes

aerobic fermentation

3 a : of, relating to, or being activity which increases the body's demand for oxygen thereby resulting in marked temporary increase in respiration and heart rate

stationary bicycles used for aerobic conditioning

an aerobic workout

Aerobic exercise involves pushing your heart rate to 70% to 85% of its maximum, and keeping it there for 20 to 60 minutes at a time.
—Tara Parker-Pope

b : of or relating to the body's ability to consume oxygen during exercise

… the average exerciser can skip a couple of weeks without experiencing declines in aerobic capacity or the ability of the heart and lungs to supply the muscles with oxygen …
—Consumer Reports on Health

c : relating to, resulting from, or used in aerobics or aerobic activity

aerobic equipment

—

aerobically

play \-bi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

See aerobic defined for English-language learners

See aerobic defined for kids

Examples of aerobic in a Sentence

aerobic exercises like running and swimming
aerobic organisms such as bacteria

Recent Examples of aerobic from the Web

The leisure pool could be used by older swimmers and water aerobic classes that could be offered by the community center’s 50+ center.

— kate magill, Columbia Flier, "Plans glide along swimmingly for North Laurel pool," 13 June 2018
Yet their aerobic fitness declined by 3 percent, and their cardiac compliance didn't change.

— amby burfoot, courant.com, "Middle Age Not Too Late To Increase Cardiac Fitness, Studies Show," 1 June 2018
Image Lara Saint Paul, a popular singer who, inspired by Jane Fonda, kindled an aerobic fitness craze in Italy in the 1980s, died on May 8 in Casalecchio di Reno, near Bologna.

— sam roberts, New York Times, "Lara Saint Paul, Italian Singer and Aerobics Promoter, Dies at 73," 16 May 2018
Both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises — treadmill, resistance, cycling, boxing, dancing and tai chi, to name a few — have all been shown effective and can improve walking.

— meredith cohn, baltimoresun.com, "Research could lead to new treatments for Parkinson's," 22 Mar. 2018
Zoomba at the Zoo is a 90-minute dance/aerobic workout class, featuring salsa, merengue, mambo and hip-hop.

— rianne coale, RedEye Chicago, "5 things to do in Chicago this weekend," 18 May 2017
But if weight loss is your main motivator, make sure every minute of exercise counts with these tricks to burn more calories during exercise: 1. Clock more aerobic cardio.

— elizabeth narins, Cosmopolitan, "18 Ways to Maximize Your Workout and Lose Weight Faster," 22 May 2015
And while more than 75 percent of Americans reported being physically active within the last month, only about half of American adults meet aerobic activity guidelines.

— justin l. mack, Indianapolis Star, "‘Fittest in America’ list ranked 100 cities this time — Indianapolis is still not good," 15 May 2018
That covers the five fundamental human-movement patterns and checks an aerobic box.

— michael easter, Outside Online, "What Happens When You Scrap Your Fitness Plan," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'aerobic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Aerobic exercise is exercise that takes an extended amount of time—usually ten minutes or more—but is usually performed at only moderate intensity. Running, swimming, bicycling, and cross-country skiing are classic aerobic exercises. In 1968 a best-selling book called Aerobics introduced a system of exercise for increasing the body's ability to take in and use oxygen, and today aerobics classes, often mimicking such outdoor exercise as running and bicycling, take place every afternoon in thousands of gyms and YMCAs across the country. Aerobic exercise particularly strengthens the heart and lungs, but usually has many other good effects as well. Aerobic bacteria, which need oxygen to live, are essential for breaking down living matter so that it returns to the soil. They include the famous intestinal E. coli, as well as the staph and strep bacteria that can make a visit to the hospital risky.

Origin and Etymology of aerobic

French aérobie "living only in the presence of oxygen" + ¹-ic — more at aerobe

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1875

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Other Biology Terms

autochthonous, fecund, homunculus, phylogeny, substrate

AEROBIC Defined for English Language Learners

aerobic

adjective

Definition of aerobic for English Language Learners

of exercise : strengthening the heart and lungs by making them work hard for several minutes or more
: using oxygen

Medical Dictionary

aerobic

adjective aer·o·bic \ ˌa(-ə)r-ˈō-bik, ˌe(-ə)r- \

medical Definition of aerobic

1 : living, active, or occurring only in the presence of oxygen

aerobic respiration

2 : of, relating to, or induced by aerobes

aerobic fermentation

3 a : of, relating to, or being activity which increases the body's demand for oxygen thereby resulting in a marked temporary increase in respiration and heart rate