Dr. Lam Author of
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CHAPTER 5
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the respective LINKS in the Contents.
Contents
CARDIOVASCULAR
TRAINING - INTRODUCTION
A PRESCRIPTION FOR AEROBIC EXERCISE
DURATION AND FREQUENCY OF AEROBICS
MAXIMUM HEART RATE
INTENSITY (TARGET HEART RATE)
AEROBIC ZONE
PROGRESSION
THE AEROBIC WORKOUT
Warm up phase of aerobic workout
Work out phase of aerobic workout
Cool down phase of the aerobic workout
WALK, JOG, OR RUN?
CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING METHODS - INTRODUCTION
INTERVAL TRAINING
COMPONENT TRAINING
MEASURING PROGRESS
EXERCISE PRECAUTIONS
WORKING OUT IN HOT WEATHER
WALKING
JOGGING
CYCLING
STAIR-STEPPING
ROWING
AEROBIC CLASS
AEROBIC TIPS
SWIMMING
DANCING
OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISES
HAVE FUN
TO BURN 300 CALORIES A DAY
TO BURN 500 CALORIES
JUST DO IT
CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING - INTRODUCTION
 Cardiovascular exercise (aerobic exercise) forms an important
pillar within the entire anti-aging exercise program. It is one of the greatest
anti-aging bullets that is available to anyone. A list of benefits from aerobics
exercise resembles that obtained with growth hormone: gain of muscles and
strength, loss of fat, increased energy, greater well being and a decrease in
anxiety and depression. Moreover, aerobic exercise also increases the level of
HDL cholesterol, lowers blood pressure, improves immune system and helps protect
the body against a host of diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, stroke,
hypertension, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
While research has shown that cardiovascular exercises
increase longevity, the remaining questions still under research are how much
exercise is sufficient and how much is over doing it? A famous study looked at
17,000 male alumni of Harvard University between the ages of 35 and 74. Results
show that the physical activities of the men increased, their death rate
decreased. Men who spend at least 2,000 kilocalories per week doing moderate
exercises such as tennis, swimming, jogging or brisk walking lowered their
overall death rate by 25-33% and decreased their risk of crononary artery
disease by an astounding 41% when compared to the more inactive fellow alumni.
The interesting fact not previously known is that
going over
3,500 kilocalories actually makes things worse, with a slight increase in death
rate. The lesson to be learnt is that moderate exercise is the key to longevity
while extreme and over-exercise can lead to increased oxidation and tissue
damage. While your heart may get a wonderful workout, the rest of the body
suffers tremendous damage from oxidative stress that happens during extreme
forms of exercises such as triathlon and ultra-marathons (100 miles).
Cardiovascular exercises benefit any age group. However, any
exercise of aerobic capacity should be structured properly and should be scaled
moderately to fit the particular needs of each person. You are advised to
consult your private physician to get medical clearance first, especially if you
are over 35 years old.
A PRESCRIPTION FOR AEROBIC EXERCISE
In selecting your aerobic exercise, consider the following:
the type of activity, the duration of activity, the frequency, the intensity and
the progression. Fitness experts, such as doctors in American College of Sports
Medicine, have established recommendations for the quantity and quality of
exercise required for the development and maintenance of both body composition
and cardiovascular fitness for cardiovascular health. To this end, aerobic
exercise is preferred. Aerobic activities stimulate breathing by using large
muscle groups in a continuous and rhythmical manner. Exercises such as jogging,
running, walking, hiking, dancing and swimming are such activities.
DURATION AND FREQUENCY OF AEROBICS
15-50 minutes of continuous or discontinuous
aerobic activity is the minimal required for health and fitness. A better gauge is through measurement of
calorie expended, the ultimate standard in any aerobic exercise. 3-5 times a week of aerobic
activities is considered by most sports experts to be appropriate.
This can be further broken down into smaller blocks of 10 minute each without sacrificing anti-aging
effect. In an anti-aging perspective, your frequency is determined by
the amount of kilocalories burnt over a 1 week period. As we know today, the
optimum longevity burn rate is 2,000 kilocalorie per week. If you burn 1,000
kilocalories per exercise session, then on an aerobic perspective, you only need
2 aerobic sessions per week to achieve this goal. The 2,000 kilocalories include
calories burnt during strength training as well. If your weight training is 2
times a week for 30-45 minutes each time, you will be burning 400-500
kilocalories per week. From aerobic perspective, you need only to burn 1,500
kilocalories per week, (3 aerobic sessions of 500 kilocalories per session).
MAXIMUM HEART RATE
From an anti-aging perspective, our goal with regards to
cardiovascular exercise is to monitor the optimal point at which our heart is
doing maximum work. Because of age-related deterioration of the heart muscles, a
young person’s maximum heart rate is different from that of an older
individual. Fortunately, the targeted heart rate is a relatively easy number to
calculate based on the formula of 220 minus your age. Therefore, if you are 50
years old, your maximum target heart rate should be 220-50=170. In other words,
this is the maximum heart rate that you should not exceed, regardless of what
form of exercise you take. If you happen to have a stress test by your
cardiologist previously, you will realize and note that this is the similar
number at which point your cardiologist will tell you to stop. From an
anti-aging perspective, we want the heart to be stressed but yet at the same
time not over-stressed. Over-stressing the heart has certain advantages and
disadvantages. If you are young and training for competitive event, it is not
unusual for the heart to be stressed to the maximum, especially during integral
training, stressing the heart at maximum target heart rate would allow peak
performance especially in sprint-type event where powerful burst of energy is
required.
INTENSITY (TARGET HEART RATE)
The intensity of an activity can vary. Most anti-aging
experts are in agreement that between 60% and 80% of one’s maximum heart rate
is a good, reliable index of intensity. Your maximum heart rate is calculated
simply by the following formula: 220 less your age. If you are 50 years old,
then your maximum heart rate is 220-50=170 beats per minute. If you take 70% of
this then you arrive at 109, 80% of 170 equals 135. Therefore if you exercise in
an aerobic capacity which enhances your cardiovascular fitness, your exercise
target heart rate should be between 109 and 135. This is of course a very
general formula and does not apply to those who are training for competitive
sports. As your cardio-fitness increases, your ability to train closer to your
maximum cardiac heart rate level will also improved automatically.
AEROBIC ZONE
For anti-aging purposes, however, the goal is to keep the
heart in healthy condition but not to over-stress the cardio muscles. For that
reason, you should adjust your exercise in such a way that your heart rate is no
more than between 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. At this level, 85% of your
calories burnt are fat, 5% are protein and 10% are carbohydrates. If you are
training at 70-80% of your maximum heart rate, you are increasing your endurance
capacity. In this zone, your functional capacity will greatly improve and you
can expect to increase the number and size of the blood vessels, as well as
increase in aerobic capacity and respiratory rate. At this level, 50% of your
calories burnt are from carbohydrates and 50% are from fat and less than 1% are
from protein. If you are training at 80-90% of your heart rate, then you have
entered into another zone. In this zone, the exercise intensity is high, more
calories are burnt. 85% of the calories burnt are from carbohydrates, 15% from
fat and less than 1% are from protein. For anti-aging purposes, it is not
recommended that you enter into this zone for a prolonged period of time. A
burst of exercise within this zone just to stimulate the heart and to challenge
the heart to meet adverse conditions on an intermittent basis is acceptable,
however.
Training at 90% -100% of your maximum heart rate is not
recommended for anti-aging purposes. In this zone, the highest number of
calories are burnt and the lowest percentage of fat calories. Almost 90% of
calories burnt here are carbohydrates, only 10% are fat and less than 1% are
protein. Very few people can last within this zone for more than a few minutes.
PROGRESSION
For an unfit or overweight individual, small progression is
advisable. This is especially true if you are starting an exercise program after
a sedentary lifestyle. It is generally recommended to progressively increase
your intensity effect by approximately 5-10% per month. Of course, the
recommended rate of progression varies with individual, and so be sure to
consult your physician concerning any increase. It is usually best to progress
slowly and increase gradually in the spirit of keeping your motivation and
interest intact and not torturing yourself.
THE AEROBIC WORKOUT
To safely undergo an exercise program, it is necessary to
include at least 3 phases: warm up, work out, cool down. Each phase has its
particular purpose.
- Warm up phase of aerobic workout
The warm up phase usually includes stretching and breathing
exercises. This may last 5-10 minutes with the purpose of increasing the body
temperature, loosening the joints and legs to prevent any undue strain or
soreness. A slight elevation of heart rate is also a benefit of the warm up
phase and gets the heart muscles ready for the work out phase. You should be at
50-60% of your target heart rate during this phase.
- Work out phase of aerobic workout
The work out phase usually lasts from 15-50 minutes. The
ideal period is approximately 20-40 minutes. To improve cardiovascular fitness
and body composition, as well as to lose weight, continuous aerobic exercise of
low to moderate intensity is recommended. Strenuous, high intensity workouts are
not encouraged for anti-aging purposes although it may be wonderful for
competitive sports. The reason is because during intensive and strenuous
exercises the metabolism rate of each cell increases, resulting in the increase
in production of oxidised products that are also known as free radical. Free
radicals are damaging to the cells and is a leading cause of aging.
- Cool down phase of the aerobic workout
The cool down phase lasts from 5-10 minutes
brings the
physiological system back to its resting level at a gradual pace. A gradual
reduction in cardiac output after vigorous work out is considerably more safe
than an abrupt stopping of the aerobic activity. This gradual cool down gives
our heart time to get used to the decrease in blood flow and decrease in
oxygenation and gives it time to rest. One of the best cooling down exercises
includes slow walking.
WALK, JOG, OR RUN?
Running guru Kenneth Cooper, M.D. reports a study by his
research group at the Cooper Aerobic Center in Dallas in which 3 groups of
pre-menopause women were trained to walk 3 miles a day, 3 days a week, for 6
months at various speeds. A 4th non-walking group served as a control. The
interesting finding is that for those who are walking at a 20-minute per mile
pace, the aerobic fitness increased by 4%. For those walking at 15-minute per
mile pace, the increase in aerobic fitness was 9%. Finally for those who were
jogging at 12-minute per mile pace, the aerobic capacity increased by 14%, more
than tripled that of the slowest walker. In fact, the energy expenditure and
heart rate within the group were equivalent to those women who ran 9-minute
miles. The lesson to learn is that for both weight loss and aerobic fitness, the
faster you go, the more fuel you use, the better your heart and your metabolism
responds. While we know that the higher the intensity, the better the
cardiovascular and aerobic fitness, any aerobic exercise program must be
tailored to your specific needs, especially if you are over age 35. We now know
that over-exercise is counter-productive and does not increase longevity. For
anti-aging purposes, therefore you should perform the aerobic exercise that will
keep your heart rate at about approximately 70%-80% of your maximum heart rate
(MHR) while expending approximate 2,000 kilo-calories per week in divided
sessions.
CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING METHODS - INTRODUCTION
It is important that you understand the variety of
cardiovascular exercise training methods in your program. If you are training
for competitive sport or a particular race, you may want to consider interval
training as well as component training to add to your regimen. Interval training
is an intermediate form of cardiovascular training.
Men burn 10-15% more calories for the same exercise than
women due to bigger muscle size. If you are a woman, you would have to work
about 10% harder than if you were a man.
INTERVAL TRAINING
Interval training consists of repeated intervals of
relatively high intensity events such as jogging or running or sprinting
incongruent with relatively light intensity events such as walking. The light
interval would be done in range from 50-70% of your maximum heart rate while the
hard interval training would range from 85%-100% of your maximum heart rate. As
mentioned earlier, interval training is highly desirable for the competitive
athlete. It is also interesting and beneficial for anti-aging purposes if
provided as a break in routine and to train your body to adapt to different
stresses from different activity. Interval training also causes a rise in our
base metabolic rate (BMR) after the exercise has ended. This increase has
effectively cause a body to burn more calorie and keep our fat off. It is,
therefore, especially good if you want to reduce the fat in your body.
 COMPONENT TRAINING
Component training is a method combining several types of
cardiovascular exercises, one immediately after another. For example, you would
jog for 15 minutes on a treadmill followed by 15 minutes on the bicycle and then
15 minutes of swimming. This is somewhat equivalent to a mini-triathlon event.
Component training offers a variety to the normal routine and is good for
aerobic training. Note that the heart cannot recognize whether the calories
burned come from bicycle training or treadmill training or a rowing machine. The
key in this particular training method is to utilize different parts of your
body and to give you a slight variety so your motivation is being kept up.
While cardiovascular exercise forms an important weapon
within the anti-aging exercise arsenal, it is by no means the only magic bullet.
An optimum anti-aging program involves a combination of aerobic exercise, proper
diet supplements, and weight training program so that your body has adequate
lean body mass to carry you through an active lifestyle. All anti-aging exercise
programs must be proceeded with a good flexibility-training program lasting 5-10
minutes as well as a cool down stretching exercise immediately after training. With regards to nutrition, it is important that our body and muscles are
replenished with the proper nutrients after an exercise program. During
exercise, our energy comes from a substance called glycogen, what your body
makes from carbohydrates. Keeping in proper perspective and providing proper
nutrients will ensure that our muscles have the key components to rebuild the
cells and prevent using our existing reserves as a reservoir of energy for
aerobic function.
MEASURING PROGRESS
If improving your appearance is your primary motivation for
cardiovascular exercise other than anti-aging, then your mirror is your best
gauge. The scale, unfortunately, is not a good indicator because we could be
gaining muscles and losing fat and that will not show up on the scale. The
measurement of a lean body mass as well as a percentage of body fat is a good
indicator as it gives you a good gauge of how your body composition is changing.
Ideally, with a good cardiovascular and weight training exercise, you should be
losing fat and gaining lean muscle mass. Your body composition should change
accordingly.
You can also measure your progress by duration and intensity
of your cardiovascular exercise routine. If you are able to increase your
exercise duration or find that you are making the same progress but with less
effort, then your cardiac health is improving. The simplest way is to jog
continuously for one mile at a comfortable pace and measure the time it takes.
You know you are in excellent cardiac shape if your time is less than 8 minutes.
If you can do it within 11-13 minutes, you’ve achieved anti-aging benefits.
Ultimately, your progress is best measured by how you feel.
When you are consistent in your cardiovascular program, chances are you will
feel better, have more energy and a better outlook in life. This may take a few
weeks, but it will come. You will realize that your daily tasks have become
easier and that the activities and sports you enjoy will not only become easier
but also become more enjoyable. Your friends will notice the significant change
in you after you have been consistently on the program. Anti-aging is a
life-long process and that does not yield immediate results. Many of the
benefits will only be apparent years later.
EXERCISE PRECAUTIONS
Cardiovascular exercise performed immediately after a full
meal is not recommended. You should wait at least 60-90 minutes after a full
meal before engaging in any kind of intensive cardiovascular exercise. The
reason is simple. After a full meal, most of your blood supply goes to your
stomach area to help the stomach to digest the food. Blood flow to other vital
organs decreases. The larger the amount of food you eat, the longer the time you
should wait before beginning aerobic exercise.
WORKING OUT IN HOT WEATHER
Another factor that increases risk of injury and complication
is exercising in hot weather. Your body is used to a certain level of
perspiration where sweat is taken out of your body and evaporated at a rate that
your body can sustain. In a hot weather where there is excessive perspiration,
it would only place increased stress into your body. To overcome this, try the
following tips:
- Allow 5-7 days to accommodate to hot environment.
- Avoid training at the hottest part of the day that is
usually between 11am and 5pm, especially during the summer.
- Be well hydrated by taking in lots of water prior to the
workout.
- During exercise, drink plenty of fluids along the way especially if it is a long aerobic session such as a road race.
- Monitor your heart rate and do not go above your targeted
aerobic heart rate during the course of the activity. If necessary, slow down
your rate of exercise or shorten your aerobic sessions so that you are in a
comfortable position throughout the workout.
POLLUTANT
Pollutants have an adverse effect on our bodies. Pollutants
are oxidants and cause oxidation of our cells resulting in free radicals.
While fresh air is available outdoors, exposure to oxidants
such as ozone, carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide from car exhaust can be
detrimental to your health.
WALKING
Walking is an exercise for all ages. Young and old love to
walk. Walking is particularly good for anyone over 40 because of its safety.
Rarely do you hurt your ligaments, injure your legs or your tight or knees after
walking. Walking is also simple and easily adaptable to busy schedules. A quick
walk can burn as many calories as slow jog. Besides, other benefits include
increased cardio-respiratory health, decreased body fat, decreased weight and
decrease risk of heart disease. The key to proper walking is suitable footwear.
While there are specialized walking shoes available at most shoe stores, many
people prefer good running shoes with adequate cushion especially at the heel as
well as the forefoot and the mid-sole area.
Always warm up, stretch and cool down during the walking
session. Begin walking slowly for 5-10 minutes at 15-20 minute per mile pace in
order to increase circulation of blood to your calves, quadriceps and
hamstrings. As you build up after the warm up phase, you can walk at a faster
pace. Concentrate on your form, having the heel strike first onto the road and
follow by rolling motion and lift up after the mid-sole. As you walk, remember
to keep your back straight, your abdominal tight and pump your arms back and
forth naturally. Gauge your progress by the amount of time you spend walking
rather than by the intensity at first. Whether you are a world class walker or a
novice, you take almost the same number of steps each minute during this
exercise process. The goal, therefore, is not to walk fast but walk at a pace
that is sufficient to get your heart rate up to your targeted exercise heart
rate.
WALKING ON TREADMILL
Walking on treadmill allows advantages in that you can walk
and exercise during anytime of the day, any time of the year without exposure to
adverse environmental factors. Walking on the treadmill, however, can be
slightly boring and it takes sometime to get used to it, especially in the
beginning. For the beginner, start the treadmill belt running at slow speed. If
needed, hold on to the handrail in front or beside you while walking until you
feel comfortable. Often times, a trainer by your side may be a good safety
precaution when you get started. Do not close your eyes while running because
you will need your eyes to help maintain balance. There is always a safety catch
with each treadmill that allows the treadmill to stop automatically in case the
safety cord is pulled. This simple but highly effective precaution measure
should be taken regardless whether you are a beginner or an advance treadmill
walker or jogger.
JOGGING
Jogging, an excellent cardiovascular exercise is also popular
because of its simplicity and adaptability to busy schedule. People of all ages
can jog although it is more appropriate for those in good shape and those who
are not more than 30-40 pounds overweight and have no knee problems. Like any
exercise, jogging can have its pitfalls and you must be aware of these. First of
all, you must concentrates on the form of your running. The back must be
straight, the hands in a natural and relaxed position. The foot must land on the
heel first, followed by a rolling motion to the mid-sole and take off according. Try not to land on your mid-sole with each stride as you will be sprinting in
that particular posture and you would be tired relatively quickly. If you hear a
“thump” sound on the ground as you land, chances are you are landing
improperly. Concentrating on your form and your posture during the run is an
important way to get started. Do not compare yourself with other runners who may
be more advanced than you. Whether you are an Olympic runner or a novice jogger,
researches have shown that your foot strikes the road approximately 150-180
times per minute. What this means is that it doesn’t matter whether you are
running an Olympic pace or just slow jogging around your neighborhood, the
amount of trauma sustained by your knee and your cartilage is the same. Many
people are totally unaware of this important fact. Try it yourself and see if it
is true. Excessive exercise to complete a certain distance is not beneficial
from an anti-aging perspective. In other words, if you take 5 hours to complete
a marathon as compared to a world class athlete, then essentially your knees are
getting twice as much pounding as compared to those who take two and a half
hours to complete the same race. The smarter way from the anti-aging perspective
and the preservation of our joints is to exercise in such a way to maximize
aerobic capacity based on moderate exercise level.
Interval training as well as component training techniques It is also important to gradually increase the duration
before you increase the intensity.may be used from time to time for specific goals such as race
preparation. It also gives a slight variety to the sometimes boring routine of just running on a
day-to-day basis.
Always warm up, stretch and cool down during the jogging
session. Begin the session by jogging at low intensity or even a fast walk. This
will stretch your calves, quadriceps and hamstring muscles. After the exercise
session, cool down by walking first for 5-10 minutes followed by stretching of
the exercised muscles as before.
CYCLING
Cycling is a non-weight bearing exercise that is especially
good for the over-weight or the elderly person. Stationary cycling is preferred
over outdoor cycling for the elderly or during inclement weather. Cycling
outdoors is a perfect activity for those who do not like walking or jogging.
Cycling is a good exercise for a variety of fitness levels. It is important to
adjust the height of the seat so that so that the leg that is at the bottom of
the down-stroke is almost but not quite completely extended when foot is on the
pedal. If the seat is too low, your leg muscles will feel tired more easily.
This will limit your performance. Numerous forms of padded seats are also
available with cushions to reduce the strain on your buttocks.
The pedaling speed can vary depending on the fitness level
and comfort. As usual, always warm up, stretch and cool down during the cycling
session. Begin each exercise by pedaling very slowly at low level of resistance
for 5-10 minutes. This stretches the calves, quadriceps and hamstrings. As the
exercise stretch and progresses, the resistance can increase as well as the
intensity. Duration of the exercise can be increased gradually. Interval training
as well as compulsive training are wonderful variations to this particular form
of exercise and give you a fresh perspective.
STAIR-STEPPING
Stair-stepping is an excellent form of cardiovascular
exercise. Aside from the obvious aerobic benefits, it is also easy on the bones,
joints and ligaments. For those people who have orthopedic limitations that
limits repetitive pounding of body weight during activity such as running or
jogging, this offers a good alternative. Stair steppers are relatively easy to
use. For safely reasons, do consult a trainer to make sure that you have the
right technique. Especially important is to grab the handrail and step onto the
pedal. Begin stepping by lifting each foot as if you were walking up the steps
while holding on to the hand rail or by pumping your arms back and forth once
you feel more comfortable. Do not push the pedal down by simply lifting your
feet one after another. As usual, your back should be straight and your
abdominal tight. This posture is very important so that you do not create
excessive strain on your back muscles. Do not lean over the machine or the
handrail. This decreases the work performed and can result in injury.
Step at a comfortable speed that allows you to stay in the
middle pedal range. Do not try to extend the pedal all the way down to the full
range unless you are setting on or off.
Always warm up, stretch and cool down during the
stair-stepping session. Begin each session with a 5-10 minute warm up, followed
by intense work out and end with a cool down session. To dismount, stand still
and allow the pedal to settle to the floor.
ROWING
Rowing is another excellent cardiovascular and aerobic
choice. Rowing machines offer a good alternative for those who have orthopedic
problems and are unable to run or jog. Computerized rowing machines also offer a
fun way of doing cardiovascular exercises. Sit on the seat of the rowing machine
and secure your feet to the ankles in the front part of the machine. With your
body leaning slightly forward, move forward on the roller. Join your knees up to
your chest. It is important to maintain a good posture during the rowing
exercises in order to preserve your muscles. Your head should be up and your
arms extended straight in front of you. Push back your legs, straighten your
back to an upright position, and pull the handle to your abdomen. Keep your back
straight and abdomen tight at all times. Bring yourself forward by pulling with
your leg, leaning forward and extending your arms in front of you. A good rate
is approximately 20-30 rows per minute.
Always start your rowing session slowly for the warm up,
lasting 5-10 minutes. Make sure your posture is proper and that you are
increasing the circulation to your legs and your upper arm muscles during the
rolling process. After you are fully warmed up, then start your intense exercise
session. It is also important to cool down towards the end of the session. When
you get off the rowing machine, do your stretches as well. Rowing machine can be
incorporated as part of component training program within the anti-aging
cardiovascular exercise program. It adds variety to the overall training program
as well as it works different parts of the body.
AEROBIC CLASS
Participation in aerobic class is a great form of
cardiovascular exercise. They are fun and they are motivational because most of
the time, you participate in a group session. The support from fellow members
keeps you going and keeps the session enjoyable. To gain significant benefit,
you should participate in aerobic classes for at least 20-30 minutes and for at
least 3 times a week. Aerobics require a certain degree of motor skill and
coordination and may take more time to learn compared to other cardiovascular
exercises. During the secessions, It is often intimidating for students to watch
the instructors moving quickly from one routine to another while the rest of the
students try to catch up. The important thing is not to be embarrassed and not
to worry about it. The instructor is a professional in the field and does it
every day. Your job is to follow as much as possible and enjoy yourself. The key
to anti-aging exercise program is to enjoy yourself while achieving a targeted
heart rate and burning off excessive calories. It is fruitless to compare
yourself with the instructor who is a professional doing the same routine day in
and day out.
AEROBIC TIPS
As usual, be sure to include a warm up stretch and cool down
every exercise, class or video. Each class should begin with 5-10 minutes of low
intensity movement followed by stretching of the muscles that will be used
during the exercise session such as the calves and the quadriceps. After the
aerobic session, you should cool down with low intensity movements or by walking
5-10 minutes and then stretching the same muscle groups. This allows the muscles
to return to the original metabolic state prior to the beginning of the aerobic
exercise. The proper footwear is very important in an aerobic class, stabilized
aerobic shoes are available in most shoe stores and they usually have very good
cushion and support especially for side to side actions. If you have orthopedic,
limitations, try to take the class that is low impact to start off with and
which match your functional and aerobic capacity.
SWIMMING
Swimming is an excellent non weight bearing cardiovascular
exercise. It is great for those with chronic limitation or recent injuries. It
is not as easily accessible as jogging but definitely just as good if not better
because of its low impact and non-weight bearing qualities. Swimming generally
requires a higher level of skill and thus takes longer to learn than other
cardiovascular exercises. You may want to take swimming lessons to improve your
breathing and your coordination skills if you plan to take this sport seriously.
Similar to cross- country skiing, you cannot swim without using all the muscles
in your body and it is, therefore, a fantastic aerobic exercise. As usual with
any other exercise, always warm up, stretch and cool down during the exercise.
Begin swimming at low intensity for 5-10 minutes while you warm up your muscles
required for swimming, then build up towards a high intensity aerobic session
for 20-30 minutes. Try to use a shallow lap pool, just in case you get cramps
halfway through the exercise session that can happen from time to time.
Incorporating swimming with a cycling and a jogging session would be equivalent
to doing a triathlon. This has been tremendously popular in recent years and its
popularity is growing due to the variety it offers.
DANCING
Those who are not keen to do a pure aerobic exercise may want
to consider dancing as a form of exercise. Dancing incorporates the whole body
and the benefits are enormous. It is a great way to give your heart a work out
and also to get over the inhibition to be more comfortable with our bodies.
Dancing gives us permission to use our pelvis in a socially acceptable way.
OTHER CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISES
There are enormous additional cardiovascular exercises such
as hiking, rope jumping, cross-country skiing, basketball and tennis. Regardless
of what activity you choose, they all have cardiovascular benefits. Activities
that do not provide as much cardiovascular benefits include golf, softball and
bowling. Regardless of what cardiovascular activities that you do, the following
guidelines should form guide you on what form of exercise to do.
- Does the cardiovascular exercise offer a sustained
repetitive movement using large muscle groups such as your legs?
- Does your activity allow you to continually be active for
30-45 minutes?
- Are you able to maintain an intensity of 60-80% of your
maximum heart rate?
- Can you continue to pursue this activity 3-5 days a week in
order to obtain significant benefits?
Don’t forget that the key to anti-aging exercise program is
not so much for competitive sports purposes but to exercise your body in such a
way to promote youthfulness stress reduction as well as increase your longevity.
Research now shows that the target aerobic exercise should be of moderate
intensity and to allow you to burn off 2,000 kilocalories per week at a heart
rate of approximately 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. Regardless of what
exercise you do, those are the key parameters within which you should formulate
your exercise program.
HAVE FUN
Exercise is a key ingredient in weight reduction and can help
to obtain optimum heath. Exercise not only increases muscle tone but also alters
the metabolic rate in our bodies. A fit individual will burn more calories than
a less fit one, even at rest.
Exercise need not be a struggle. If you make it fun by
choosing an activity you enjoy, you will more easily incorporate it into your
daily life and more rapidly enjoy the enormous physiological, psychological and
biochemical benefits of exercise. To avoid boredom, you may wish to vary your
daily routine. For example, walk one day, cycle the next and perhaps swim
another day. If walking is the core of your routine, you can supplement it with
recreational activities such as golf or tennis. The point is to do something,
exercise every day.
TO BURN 300 CALORIES A DAY
To burn 300 calories a day, you have to perform aerobics
equivalent to 30 minutes of rowing machine, bicycle or swimming; approximately
35 minutes of stationary bike or slow jog; approximately 40 minutes of brisk
walk; approximately 80 minutes of slow walk.
TO BURN 500 CALORIES
To burn 500 calories, you have to do stenusous bicycling
for one hour; or cross-country skiing for 45 minutes; or jogging 45 minutes
at 5 miles per hour.
JUST DO IT
Cardiovascular exercise is an important pillar of any
anti-aging exercise program. By following the instructions and precautions
outlined here, we hope that you will have a wonderful time enjoying yourself
while achieving optimum health. Your greatest challenge, however, is not
learning new exercises or proper technique, it is to put it to action.
Recognizing that your heart disease is a leading cause of death, consistent
exercise will go a long way to reducing that risk and improving your longevity.
Travel with your running shoes, travel with your gym shorts. Whatever
opportunity you get, no matter how short the period during the day, take some
time to do cardiovascular exercise. A 5-minute session of rope-jumping will make
you feel invigorated, especially after a long travel or stressful day. Keep a
jump rope in your office and keep one set at home. Including a cardiovascular
training into your busy schedule is an adjustment and may be difficult. But if
you have already taken the time to read this chapter, chances are you have been
motivated to understand that this is the right thing to do and all that is left
now is to do it!
Forward | Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter
2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter
4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter
6
Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter
11 | Chapter 12 | Bibliography
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