QUIZ 2
CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE
Cardiovascular Endurance and Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Cardiovascular endurance is the ability to perform large muscle, dynamic,
moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise for a prolonged period of time.
Cardiovascular endurance is essentially the health of your heart and lungs, and
often equated with aerobic fitness and is more appropriately titled
cardiorespiratory fitness.
is
Developing and maintaining adequate levels of cardiovascular
endurance through aerobic exercise is important with regard to the
capacity of performing essential daily tasks. Being able to carry out
everyday activities such as yard work, house chores, child care and
work-related physical demands require us to have a certain amount of
cardiovascular endurance. The more aerobically fit we are, the easier
we can achieve these daily tasks.
Higher levels of cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a lower risk of
developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and numerous other illnesses
associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Other benefits of aerobic exercise include stronger
bones (reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis), loss of body fat (reducing risk of
diseases associated with obesity), increased metabolic rate (increased number of calories
burned at rest, aiding in weight loss and maintenance), and for women, healthier pregnancy
and easier childbirth.
Many adults remember their high school athletic days, physical education class, or the
first generation of aerobic videos in regards to aerobic exercise. People were taught in order
to gain benefit from an activity you must exercise until you “feel the burn”. For those who
desire to achieve health-fitness benefits, this is false. Research over the last several decades
has shown we can gain considerable health-fitness benefits by following the recommendations
by the American College of Sports Medicine. These recommendations are as follows:
Mode or what type of exercise: Aerobic
The exercise must be aerobic in nature, which means the
activity must involve the large muscle groups, be dynamic, and must be
able
to be performed at the proper intensity, duration, and frequency.
Examples include brisk walking, jogging, running, hiking, swimming,
bicycling, stair stepping, dancing, cross country skiing, rowing, arm
cranking, skipping rope, and in-line skating. It is important that you
select a mode that you enjoy! No single exercise is better than another.
Your heart does not know what you are doing; just that it is “getting a
workout”. Therefore by choosing the type of exercise you enjoy, you are more likely to
engage in the exercise more regularly.
Lifting weights does not improve cardiovascular fitness. Racquet sports such as
tennis or team sports like basketball may not be appropriate for most people as we spend most
of the time trying to hit the ball and/or standing around than we do during actual participation.
Most sports that we engage in are anaerobic in nature due to the starting and stopping of the
game: switching from offense to defense, waiting for the ball to be hit, rebounded, shot,
thrown, or kicked.
Frequency or how often: 3-5 times per week
Three to five days per week. Individuals with a very low initial level of
fitness should begin at the lower end of the frequency (3 days) and
preferably on alternate days. Giving the body a day of rest between
exercise sessions will reduce the risk of developing an injury and will aid
in reducing muscle soreness.
Duration or how long: 20–60 minutes per session
Twenty to 60 minutes. Individuals with a very low initial fitness level
should begin with a lower duration (20 minutes) and progress at a very
rate, such as a few minutes added each week.
slow
Intensity or how hard: 50–85% of Maximum Heart Rate
In order to obtain health and fitness benefits from cardiorespiratory exercise, we must
work at an appropriate intensity. The heart must receive an adequate stimulus or workload.
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that apparently healthy adults keep
their exercise heart rate during between 50 and 85% of the maximum heart rate (MHR) in
order to remain working at an effective and safe level.
We can determine if we are working at an adequate intensity by assessing our heart
rate during the activity. First you need to determine your target heart rate (THR) range so you
will be able to know if you are working at an appropriate intensity. There are various ways to
determine your target heart rate range. We will use the Karvonen method. This method is
probably the best and most appropriate method for the majority of apparently healthy, young
adults, who are not on medication, and who have no special medical concerns.
Mode:
Frequency:
Duration:
Intensity:
Aerobic
3–5 days/week
20–60 minutes
50–85% Maximum Heart Rate
~ONLINE ENHANCEMENT~
Need some suggestions on different types of aerobic activity?
The American Council of Exercise offers many great ideas!
http://www.global-fitness.com/strength/s_map.html
SELF-PRESCRIBING AEROBIC EXERCISE
Using the ACSM guidelines for appropriate and effective cardiovascular exercise,
workout pulse readings, correct exercise intensities and respective heart rates it is time for you
to integrate all of these components into your own personal aerobic exercise program. There
are three main key points you must keep in mind when you are creating an exercise program
for yourself.
1) Choose a realistic starting point
If you begin with an intensity that is too high, or a duration that is too long, you run the risk of
hurting yourself and/or working so hard you are unable or unwilling to continue your exercise
program due to muscle and joint soreness. Honestly assess your abilities and interpret your
fitness assessment results to find the best starting point.
2) Progress slowly
A slow to moderate progression rate will allow your body to adapt to your new program and
hopefully avoid exercise induced injuries. When using a proper progression, you should
emphasize one area at a time (how long you work out, etc.) For example, you should not
increase your intensity and your duration at the same time. You would want to keep your
intensity and duration the same until you have increased your frequency to the desired
amount. Then begin increasing your duration and intensity little by little, one part at a time.
This will also give you the chance to see improvements and feel accomplishment.
3) Think variety
Avoid psychological plateaus by changing the type of exercise you do. By changing your
mode, you will decrease the chance of sustaining overuse injuries and your body will be used
in new and different ways. Keep in mind, if you are able to walk 60 minutes, 4 times a week,
you may not be able to do the Stairmaster for the same duration and frequency.
Example progression for duration, frequency, and intensity
Age: 50
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Activity
Walking
Walking
Jogging
Jogging
Swimming
Swimming
Jogging
Swimming
Jogging
Swimming
Duration
25
27
20
22
20
22
22
25
25
25
Frequency
3
3
3
3
3–4
3–4
4
4
4–5
4–5
Intensity
50–55%
50–55%
60%
60%
55–65%
55–65%
60–70%
60–70%
65–75%
55–65%
10 Sec Pulse
14–16
14–16
17
17
16–19
16–19
17–20
17–20
19–21
16–19
WORKSHEET
1. List 5 aerobic activities in which you enjoy or could perform.
2. Why are these exercises important (at least 25 words)?
3. Create your own 10 weeks cardiovascular training plan:
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Activity
Duration
Intensity
Frequency
Note