By Matt Mohan
Improve your Health and Wellness with Aerobic Exercise
At some point in your life, you may have entered a mindset where you realize how important your health and wellness are, and you want to take action to improve your life. Maybe you want to move more, or not feel so tired while doing activities that you love. Or maybe you just don’t want to be out of breath from climbing a flight of stairs. While there are many forms of exercise that cover different areas of wellness; I will be talking about aerobic exercise, why you should do it, and different forms of aerobic exercise you can implement in your workout routine.
Before I get into aerobic exercise, it is important to note that aerobic exercise should be implemented alongside resistance training in your workout routine.
What is Aerobic Exercise?
Aerobic exercise is often referred to as “conditioning” or “cardio.” Like those terms suggest, aerobic exercise is intended to enhance the function of your cardiovascular system. The term “aerobic” means “with oxygen.” Therefore, this form of exercise requires that you increase your body’s demand for oxygen for a short, intermediate, or prolonged period to drive adaptation.
How Often Should I do Aerobic Exercise?
According to the World Health Organization, adults should be getting at least 150-300 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise, 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous intensity exercise, or a combination of both. This should be divided into 3-7 sessions per week. Take note that beginners should start at a lower frequency and intensity and gradually work their way up. Those with cardiovascular, metabolic, or renal conditions or with symptoms that indicate these conditions should consult with their primary care provider before initiating an aerobic exercise regimen.
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How Hard Should I Exercise?
Aerobic training intensity is most associated with Heart Rate Zones. There are 5 heart rate zones, corresponding with a percentage of your maximum heart rate (MHR). You can estimate your maximum heart rate with either of these equations:
MHR = 220 – Age in years
MHR = 207 – (.7 x Age)
The 5 heart rate zones are as follows:
- Zone 1
- 50% - 60% MHR – Very light intensity. You can have a full conversation and even sing. You can maintain this intensity for a very long time. You will be able to sustain this intensity for a very long period.
- Example: Walking
- Zone 2
- 60% - 70% MHR – Light intensity. You can have a conversation, but you probably can’t sing.
- Example: Long Slow Distance Run
- Zone 3
- 70% - 80% MHR – Moderate intensity. Having a conversation will be difficult but you will be able to speak in full sentences.
- Example: Tempo Run
- Zone 4
- 80% - 90% MHR – High intensity. Speaking in full sentences is difficult but you can speak a few words.
- Example: 5k Race
- Zone 5
- 90% - 100% MHR – Maximal Intensity. Speaking a few words is very difficult.
- Example: High Intensity Interval Training
Most of your training volume should occur in zones 2 and 3 to increase your aerobic capacity, especially if you are a beginner. Zone 4 training will improve your lactate threshold and in zone 5 you will be training near or at your VO2max (the maximum volume of oxygen a person can use during intense exercise). Zones 4 and 5 should be implemented in short bouts of exercise while zones 2 and 3 should be implemented in longer and more rhythmic bouts of exercise. It is always a good idea to vary your exercise intensity throughout the week.
Types of Aerobic Exercise
The most important part of starting an aerobic exercise program is picking which exercise you will do. The choice is yours, pick the form of exercise that you enjoy, and that matches your abilities. Here are three of my favorite forms of aerobic exercise, along with why and how I use them.
- Walking
- I would recommend walking to everybody that is able. Walking is perhaps the most accessible form of aerobic exercise to the general population and comes with many benefits. In fact, a strong correlator with mortality is the number of steps you take per day. As you increase your steps up to 7000 per day, you see the most significant decline in health risk!
- Depending on your intensity, a leisurely walk can be a way to get your daily steps in, and a brisk or fast paced walk can be an aerobic workout! Walking at a brisk pace is great for joint health, particularly for your feet, ankles, knees, and hips.
- For those with back pain, walking may play a crucial role in relieving pain and helping your road to recovery. Dr. Stuart McGill calls walking “Nature’s Back Balm.” Consider taking a walk through the park or around the neighborhood to start your day!
- Running
- Running is my favorite form of aerobic exercise, but it comes with some prerequisites. Running is a high-impact form of exercise and places higher stresses on your joints. Having good running mechanics is important and so is the footwear you select to run in.
- If running causes joint pain or exacerbates an existing injury, running may not be your best option. I chose running because I can vary my distance, pace, and intensity with each workout; and because I love to run outside. My running workouts can be as fast and intense as a sprint workout, or I can lower the intensity and run for 5 miles.
- You may find that you enjoy a track style workout, or you may enjoy a cross country style workout. When it comes to starting and progressing a running workout regimen, “start low, go slow!”
- Cycling
- I include cycling as a part of my 3 favorite aerobic exercises because it is low impact. I use a stationary bike as part of my workout regimen to reduce the stress on my joints and to do most of my zone 2 and 3 training.
- The bike makes it easy for me to exercise from 30 to 60 minutes at a time while listening to music or watching videos and burn plenty of calories.
- I can even turn up the resistance and really break a sweat. A great advantage of cycling is that it is something you can do indoors on a stationary bike, or outdoors.
While these are my favorite forms of aerobic exercise, yours may be different. Be open to other forms of aerobic exercise such as elliptical, jump rope, swimming, rowing, or any other safe and effective form of exercise you may stumble upon. You can implement multiple forms of cardio into your program, or you can base your program around your favorite.
I hope this blog encourages you to start your cardio journey, or helps you continue your cardio journey. While all forms of cardio are great for your health, the best form of cardio is the one that allows you to work hard, be consistent, and have fun.
