Aerobic Exercise/ Cardiovascular Training
Aerobic exercise or cardiovascular training is any dynamic exercise that uses large muscle groups for a long duration.
For example, walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, dancing, etc. are various forms of aerobic exercise.
There are high impact and low impact forms of aerobic exercise. "High impact" means the level of wear and tear on your
joints, bones and soft tissue is high which increases the risk of injury. It's harder for your body to recover from these activities
as compared to low impact activities. Running, Step Aerobics and Kick Boxing are examples of high impact activities.
"Low impact" activities like swimming, stationary cycling and eliptical training are ideal for individuals with arthritis,
joint problems, poor balance or history of sport injury because of the decreased risk of injury.
-Always consult your family doctor or a qualified healthcare professional before starting a new exercise routine.
-If you experience chest pain, shortness of breath or trouble breathing stop immediately and consult your medical
doctor before continuing any cardiovascular training.
-Muscle or joint pain during or after exercise could be related to your technique, biomechanics, equipment or an
underlying pathology. Don't "push through the pain." Stop and consult a qualified healthcare professional.
Benefits of Aerobic Exercise/ Cardiovascular Training
-Strengthen respiratory muscles and facilitate airflow through the lungs
-Strengthen and enlarge the heart muscle to improve efficiency by lowering your resting heart rate
and increasing your stroke volume (amount of blood your heart pumps in one contraction).
-Improve circulation, increase endurance, increase metabolism
-Reduce blood pressure
-Strengthen muscles throughout the body
-Increase oxygen transport by increasing your red blood cell count
-Decrease stress and improve mood
-Reduce risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and more.
General Aerobic Guidelines
Aerobic Exercise Intensity is measured by HR (heart rate) and RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion).
The ideal training intensity is 70-85% of your maximum heart rate, which can be determined by the following formula:
220 - age = MHR (Maximum Heart Rate)
For Example: I am 27 years old, so 220 - 27 = 193. My MHR is 193bpm (beats per minute)
Therefore: 193 x .70 = 135.1 (70% of my MHR) 193 x .85 = 164.05 (80% of my MHR)
So, my ideal training intensity is 135.1-164.05 BPM (beats per minute)
RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is measured on a scale of 1-10.
1 = Very Light 3 = Light 4 = Moderate 5 = Somewhat Hard
7 = Hard 8 = Very Hard 10 = Maximum
Your goal RPE is determined by your training goals (weight loss, CV training, sport specific).
Most healthcare professionals recommend a minimum of 20 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3 times per week.