Last week's column talked about the common myths of weight loss, nutrition and exercise. One of the myths mentioned was the fact that cardiovascular/aerobic exercise is not needed in order to lose weight. According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE) "it is an essential part of EVERY exercise program and should be done for a minimum of 30 minutes on most days of the week". But what exactly is aerobic exercise and what are the benefits of it?
The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) defines aerobic exercise as "any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature." It can also be defined as "any exercise that increases the need for oxygen and increases your heart rate". Some examples of aerobic exercise include:
-- Stair climbing
What Are the Benefits of Aerobic Exercise?
Any type of aerobic exercise will strengthen your heart and lungs. As you are exercising, your muscles will begin to demand more oxygen; as a result, your heart will start to beat faster and eventually will grow stronger so it can meet the muscles' demands without as much effort. Regardless of your age, weight or gender, everyone can benefit from aerobic exercise.
Regular aerobic exercise, when performed on most days of the week can:
-- Reduce body fat and improve weight control
-- Lower one's resting heart rate
-- Improve heart and lung function
-- Increase HDL (good) cholesterol
-- Decrease symptoms of depression and anxiety
-- Increase blood supply to the muscles
How Much Aerobic Exercise Should You Do?
When thinking in terms of aerobic exercise, you want to use the FITT principles as your guideline (Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type).
Frequency: The number of exercise sessions per week
If you are just getting started with an exercise routine, a minimum of 3 days per week is recommended, preferably every other day so you don't burn out or injure yourself. As your stamina and endurance increases, you can gradually work up to 5 or 6 days per week.
Intensity: How hard you should exercise per session
Any kind of aerobic exercise should be done at a "moderate" intensity level. You want to make sure that your workout isn't too easy, but not too hard. Working out at a moderate intensity is ideal for overall general health benefits, in addition to weight loss. To measure exercise intensity, you will want to monitor your heart rate. The recommended heart rate range/target heart rate zone (THR) is 60-85% of your maximum heart rate. In order to calculate your heart rate, take 220-age and multiply that number by .60 and .85. For example, the target heart rate zone for a 32 year old is as follows:
220-(age) 32 = 188 (maximum heart rate)
188(maximum heart rate) x .60 = 113 (low end target zone)
188 (maximum heart rate) x .85 = 160 (high end target zone)
The target heart rate zone for someone who is 32 years old would be approximately between 113 bpm (beats per minute) to 160 bpm. Other methods for measuring workout intensity include the "talk test" and the "rating of perceived exertion scale." For more information on these and other methods of measuring workout intensity, visit the Center for Disease Control (CDC) website:
Time: The duration of each exercise session
If you are just getting started, 20-30 minutes would be the recommended amount per workout session. Gradually, when you are able to, you can work up to 60 minutes. The more minutes you workout, the more calories you will burn, which will result in weight loss (also with proper nutrition habits). At first, you might not have a lot of endurance, but that is okay; it will increase over time as long as you stick to a regular exercise program.
Type: The kind of exercise that should be done
Any type of aerobic/cardio exercise can be done as long as it meets the other 3 requirements (as mentioned above). Remember the definition of aerobic exercise is "any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously, and is rhythmic in nature." You can do aerobic exercise anywhere; it doesn't necessarily have to be in a gym. You can get aerobic exercise without even knowing it. For example, take the elevator instead of the stairs, ride your bike to work instead of driving your car, running with your dog - it's all considered aerobic exercise.
The bottom line is to keep yourself moving!
Lisa Woods is a Certified Personal Trainer at Planet Fitness in Loudonville.
For more information, visit www.skyesthelimitfitness
She can also be reached via email email@example.com or phone at 518 542 8875.