Aerobic Exercise

Overview: A detailed explanation of the various components of Wisercise and how they work together to provide a life-long urban health fitness training system.

Mindfulness: Harness the Power of The Mind-Body Connection with the practice of Mindfulness. Free yourself from mechanical, conditioned ways of thinking and living which may be harmful to yourself or others.

Breathing: Ageing and the pressures of modern daily life will cause you to change the way you breathe. This article introduces a technique of deep breathing called the Complete Breath and highlights its role in maintaining good health and quality of life.

Posture: Many of the muscles used for breathing are also used for postural alignment. Good posture will improve your breathing and balance in addition to preventing falls and injuries. Learn how to fine-tune your posture for best results.

Stretching: Stretching is an extremely versatile and accomodating form of movement used by physiotherapists, athletes, ballet dancers, pugilists and the military. It is not only a bookend to vigorous exercise but a beneficial exercise in itself!

Aerobic Exercise: Add Years to Life & Life to Years with a traditional, easy-to-do exercise form that positively affects the years of life after age 40, lengthening life while postponing and compacting end-of-life disability.

Inside Aerobics: Find out what happens to you when you exercise aerobically and the benefits to your heart, brain and vital organs.

Best Aerobic Exercise: Researchers have found Walking to be the best aerobic exercise for daily health and wellness maintenance due to its accessibility, lowest injury rate of any exercise form and ability to reduce risk of premature death, dementia and other diseases.

Quickstep Overview: An overview of the Quickstep aerobic briskwalking technique. What is it? How can it benefit you?

Inside Quickstep: An inside look at Quickstep. Find out about Walking Mechanics, Tensegrity, Core Muscles and Balance and how to make these work together to make Quickstep go.

Exercise Does Not Have To Be Intense

Perhaps the most misunderstood aspect of exercise is that it needs to be intense in order to be beneficial.

It hasn't helped that over the last few years, advertising and social media have played-up a style of exercise known as High-Intensity Interval Training or HIIT.

Indeed, some of the coverage will lead you to believe that bursts of full-on exercise for as little as one minute are a quick route to fitness.1.2

But, some important nuances about this style of training have been glossed over in all the excitement.

For one thing, high-intensity workouts won't work for most people.3

For another, higher intensity training is, in general, known to carry a lot of risks.4

Moderate-paced Exercise Is The Most Effective Health-Fitness Regime

"High-intensity exercise can be a barrier for so many people.

By participating in lower-intensity exercise, you can increase your motivation and still enhance your physical and psychological health.

Lower-intensity exercise such as walking, swimming or running are all beneficial in improving mood, satisfaction and happiness."

Rhonda Cohen,
PhD, MSc, BA,PGCHE, CPsychol,CSci, HCPC, AFBPsS.
Head of the London Sport Institute (LSI) at Middlesex University.

In this article I turn the spotlight on a time-tested system of exercise called Aerobics.

Over four decades of extensive research has clearly shown that Aerobic Exercise is the ideal form of exercise for people of any age.5

So, what exactly is Aerobic Exercise? Who invented it? What can it do for you?

What Is Aerobic Exercise?

In the 1960s an Air Force Colonel and Physician by the name of Kenneth H. Cooper developed a system of exercise which he called 'Aerobics'.6.7.8

To this day, National Health Agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US), the National Health Service (UK) and the World Health Organisation recommend daily doses of moderate aerobic exercise for people of all ages to stay healthy.

"In more than 700 published peer-review articles, we have proven and can safely say that 'Exercise Is Medicine.'"

"It is easier to maintain good health through proper exercise, diet and emotional balance than it is to regain it once it is lost."

Kenneth H. Cooper,
MD, MPH.
The "Father of Aerobics"
Board Certified in Preventive Medicine.
Founder and Chairman of
The Cooper Institute and
Cooper Aerobics

Aerobic Exercise and
group fitness aerobics classes
are not the same thing

The word “aerobics” often brings to mind an image of people jumping, kicking and running in place to loud music.

Some dictionaries describe the word aerobics to mean “energetic physical exercises, often performed with a group of people to music” 9 or “a very active type of physical exercise done to music, usually in a class" 10.

The original concept of Aerobic Exercise developed by Dr. Kenneth Cooper does NOT specifically refer to group fitness aerobics.

Characteristics of
Cooper's Aerobic Exercise

Large skeletal muscles in the legs and core are used,

in a rhythmic and repetitive fashion,

for a prolonged duration (usually more than fifteen minutes),

at light to moderate (i.e. within a range of) exercise intensity,

with the objective of improving cardiorespiratory fitness and health.

Aerobic Exercise refers to
activities such as

Walking

Biking

Rowing

Jogging

In-line/quad skating

Cross-country skiing

Aerobic Exercise is also called
Aerobic Conditioning or Cardiovascular Exercise

Muscles need oxygen to function so the increased muscle activity associated with aerobic exercise requires more oxygen than usual to be made available to the muscles being used.

The heart and lungs are made to work harder which in turn, strengthens the cardiovascular system and makes more oxygen available not just to working muscles but also the brain, vital organs and the entire body.11.12.13.14.15

Due to its health-enhancing qualities and ability to build endurance, aerobic exercise is THE go-to exercise of choice for professional performing artists, athletes and the military.

Aerobic Exercise Is Characterised By Moderation

In order to reap the many substantial health and fitness benefits that aerobic exercise offers, you need to pace yourself and remain relaxed and comfortable while exercising.

More intensity is NOT better.

According to Dr Hans Savelberg of Maastricht University longer, moderate intensity exercise improves insulin sensitivity and blood lipid levels at a better rate than a shorter high intensity workout 16.

When it comes to losing weight, a recent study by the University of Bath 17 found that aerobic exercise (also referred to in the scientific community as Light Intensity Steady State exercise or LISS) can be just as effective as high intensity exercise.

Aerobic exercises can become Anaerobic (not aerobic) if performed at a level of intensity that is too high.

For example, you could perhaps walk comfortably on a treadmill at 6 kilometers per hour (3.7 miles per hour) breathing deeply and feeling nice and warm (aerobic).

Increase your speed to 7 kilometers per hour (4.3 miles per hour) and you may become uncomfortably breathless (anaerobic).

When your exercise becomes Anaerobic, you lose the benefits of Aerobic Exercise.

How To Tell If You're Exercising Aerobically

The most important thing to remember about aerobic exercise is that it occurs within a specific range of exercise intensity.

This makes it an exremely adaptable and "user-friendly" exercise form, capable of accommodating many and varied health-fitness goals.

There are two main ways to tell if you're exercising aerobically:

How you feel

How hard your heart is working

How do you FEEL when exercising?

The easiest way to monitor your exercise intensity is with the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) commonly known as the "Talk Test".

Zone 1
Warm-up/Cool-down/Stretching Basic Conditioning/Rehabilitation
Very Light Activity Estimated HR 50% - 60%: Anything other than sleeping, watching TV, riding in a car or any other activity which requires little effort.

Zone 2
Aerobic Conditioning/ Endurance Training
Light Activity Estimated HR 60% - 75%: Feels like you can maintain your pace comfortably for an indefinite period of time. Breathing is deep and rhythmic. You can easily carry on a conversation.

Zone 3
Higher Aerobic Conditioning/ Higher Endurance Training
Moderate Activity Estimated HR 75% - 80%: Feels like you could exercise for longer. You're breathing heavily but still able to converse.

Zone 4
Anaerobic threshold
Vigorous Activity Estimated HR 80% - 85%: Exercise is on the verge of becoming uncomfortable. Feels like you'll have to slow down to catch your breath. You're able to speak in short sentences.

When performed as recommended aerobic exercise does not feel like exercise

Exercise performed within intensity Zones 1, 2 and 3 while light to moderate in nature, will not feel like exercise.

You will, however, experience feelings of euphoria, heightened awareness and deep relaxation.18

When your exercise intensity increases to Vigorous, you are still exercising aerobically but will probably be unable to sustain that level for long.

But, you could always ease back and still obtain the many health benefits associated with aerobic exercise.

You may think that this is all too good to be true. However, the RPE is, in fact, a recognised marker of intensity during exercise.19.20

"Although it is a subjective measure, your perceived exertion rating provides a fairly good estimate of your actual heart rate during physical activity and is a psychophysiological integrator to self-regulate exercise."

Roger Eston,
PhD.
Head, School of Health Sciences,
University of South Australia,
Adelaide SA, Australia.

How hard is your heart working?

The most convenient way to measure your heart rate during exercise is with a Heart Rate Monitor.

A heart rate monitor is a helpful piece of equipment for everyone from beginner exercisers to professional athletes.

The American Heart Association explains that close monitoring of your heart rate during exercise is key to knowing that you're working out safely and whether you're improving your fitness over time.

A heart rate monitors is a potentially life-saving device if you have a health condition that puts you at high risk of heart attack.

Aerobic Exercise and Ageing

Regular aerobic exercise, walking in particular, has the ability to slow the natural decline in physical performance that occurs as you age.21.22.23

As your body adapts to daily aerobic exercise, you can actually keep your brain function, cardiovascular fitness, metabolism and muscle function in line with those of much younger people.

You'll get stronger and fitter, feel better and be able to enjoy a longer life to the fullest.

"It’s not just how long you live, it’s how well, and exercise is key to quality of life, particularly in older age.“

"My mentor said it best: It’s not the years you add to your life, it’s the life you add to your years.”

I-Min Lee,
MBBS (Singapore), MPH,
ScD (Harvard School of Public Health)
Professor, Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School Of Public Health,
Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School,
Associate Epidemiologist, Epidemiology, Brigham And Women's Hospital.

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