Chapter 5: Improving Your Aerobic Fitness PDF

C H A P T E R 5 : I M P R O V I N G Y O U R A E R O B I C F I T N E S S ACSM COMPLETE GUIDE TO FITNESS & H E A LT H Objectives Identify health and fitness benefits of aerobic activity Describe various aerobic fitness assessments and use outcomes to determine aerobic fitnes...

C H A P T E R 5 : I M P R O V I N G Y O U R A E R O B I C F I T N E S S ACSM COMPLETE GUIDE TO FITNESS & H E A LT H Objectives Identify health and fitness benefits of aerobic activity Describe various aerobic fitness assessments and use outcomes to determine aerobic fitness level Define the components of an aerobic workout Identity the FITT-VP principle for aerobic activity Individualize aerobic training based on activity status Estimate calories burned for a given activity from MET values Benefits of Aerobic Activity Regular & consistent aerobic activity improves your cardiorespiratory endurance. Better cardiorespiratory endurance typically leads to higher levels of routine PA as you go about your day-to-day life. Increases in cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with a decreased risk of death from all causes. Allows you to engage in ADLs with greater ease. Allows you to more fully participate in recreational & sport activities Burn a relatively large number of calories, helps to maintain appropriate body weight. Aerobic Fitness Assessments Assessing aerobic fitness can provide helpful insights on your current status as well as on the progress you are making. PAR-Q first before an assessment Select a less intense assessment if you have activity restrictions or are just beginning Assessing Heart Rate (HR) The simplest fitness assessment, reported in beats per minute. HR naturally increases during exercise; the higher the intensity, the faster your heart must beat to supply adequate oxygen & nutrients to your working muscles. As you gain fitness, your HR will be lower at rest as well as during exercise. Take a moment to determine your resting HR. Count beats in 1 minute. Normal is 60-100 bpm. Estimating Aerobic Fitness Level Aerobic fitness is typically assessed by looking at maximal oxygen consumption, also called VO2max ; this is a marker of your body’s ability to take in & use oxygen. The higher this value is, the better your aerobic fitness. Complex lab tests are the way to precisely determine VO2max, but you can get a reasonable estimate with the following simple tests. Table 5.1 Rockport One-Mile Walking Test Those who complete this test should have the ability to walk 1 mile continuously. Walk the course as rapidly as you can without jogging or running. Get your exercise HR (pulse) immediately after completing the mile. Record the time it takes for you to complete the mile. Calculation on page 84 1.5 Mile Run Test Higher intensity & longer distance, so this test is not appropriate for beginners, anyone with symptoms of or known heart disease, or anyone with risk factors or other health concerns as determined by a health screening or a health care provider. Run as rapidly as you can for 1.5 miles, timing yourself to the nearest second. Use the following formula to estimate your aerobic capacity: Aerobic capacity=(483/____ time in minutes) + 3.5 6-Minute Walk Test Should be considered if you have been very inactive & are currently deconditioned. The test requires you to determine the distance you can walk around a 50-yard rectangular area (how far you can get in 6 minutes) Components of an Aerobic Workout Should follow a consistent pattern for safety as well as enjoyment. Begins with a warm-up, endurance conditioning phase (main part of your workout, followed by a cool-down. Warm-Up The intent of a warm-up is to increase the temperature of the muscles, thus preparing the body for the demand of the endurance conditioning phase. Should consist of a minimum of 5-10 minutes of low-to- moderate-level activity. Warm-Up con’t May reduce the risk of injury Warm-up length depends on the intensity of your conditioning phase. Activities may include light calisthenics or lower-level activities like what will be included in your conditioning phase (i.e., if you’re going to be brisk walking, warm up with slower-paced walking) Gradually increase the intensity from resting levels to the intensity you plan for the conditioning phase. Endurance Conditioning Phase Guided by the FITT-VP principle, which stands for frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, & progression. Frequency: number of days per week Intensity: how hard you’re working when exercising Time: the duration you are active, on a daily or weekly basis Type: or mode, focuses on activities that involve large muscle groups to improve cardiorespiratory fitness Volume: the total amount of exercise & may be expressed in calories burned Progression: the way the program is advanced overtime as your fitness level improves Frequency Recommendation is 3-5 days per week This will depend on your goals & the intensity that is most appropriate for you. You will need as few as 3 days/week if you are engaging in vigorous activity, but at least 5 days/week if you are engaging in moderate-intensity activity. Example: walking vs. running (pg. 88) Intensity As intensity increases, so do health benefits. Your exercise must place stress on your cardiorespiratory system to produce benefits. Moderate vs. Vigorous Moderate-brisk walking Vigorous-jogging or running How can I monitor my intensity? A scale of 0-10 Talk test HR monitoring Time Determined by the amount of time you can commit as well as current fitness status. Beginners should find an activity you can do continuously for 10 minutes rather than worrying about an arbitrary time goal. Increase the duration of the exercise session as it becomes easier. Add a couple of minutes/session until you reach about 30 minutes of aerobic exercise/day. Intermediate exercisers should decide whether you want to maintain your current intensity & go for a bit longer or if you want to begin to increase intensity. When you increase intensity, you decrease the length of the session; if you decrease intensity, you will need to increase the time to receive the full health benefits. Table 5.5 Time Recommendations Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends working toward a minimum of 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes/week of vigorous-intensity activity. If you are already reaching these numbers, then consider increasing your activity to a target of 300 minutes/week of moderate intensity or 150 minutes/week of vigorous intensity activity. Type or Mode Volume Reflects a summary or overall amount of activity. One way to figure this out is to determine the number of calories you use (burn) when engaging in aerobic activity. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans suggest a reasonable target is at least 1,000 calories/week. More simple way uses a unit of measure called a metabolic equivalent or MET. A MET is equal to the oxygen cost at rest; 1 MET=resting level=3.5 mL of O2 per kilogram of body weight per minute. Multiples of a MET are then applied to various activities.  Table 5.7 For example: bicycling indoors is equal to a MET level of 4.0, meaning you are working four times harder when biking indoors than you are when seated in a resting position. Progression How an exercise program is advanced over time. Gradual progress is the key. If you are just starting, the recommendation is to “start low & go slow”. Cool-Down Should consist of 5-10 minutes of low-to-moderate level activity. Provides an opportunity for the body systems to gradually return to pre-exercise levels. Activities included are like those of a warm-up, but the intensity needs to gradually diminish toward resting levels. The higher the intensity of your conditioning phase, the longer your cool-down should be. Your Aerobic Program First complete a preparticipation screening Consider your current fitness level & begin at a point suitable to that status SLOWLY progress through increasing FITT-VP Fig. 5.6