Posts Tagged ‘Cardiovascular Fitness’
How to Accomplish Fitness Goals for the Whole Year
June 30th, 2009
It’s not true that people have an innate dislike for accomplishing fitness goals. The problem perhaps is the goals themselves. According to Gregory D. McCollum, co-owner of the Training Loft, a private personal training studio in Chicago:
“Start slowly, but do it with zeal. Ninety percent of all fitness programs work if you simply apply yourself. You will see a positive change in yourself by improving your cardiovascular health, increasing your flexibility and building up your strength.”
Starting out right
The first thing to do is to acquire a fitness evaluation. This can be gotten from your local gym or from your doctor. After getting the results, get a good trainer to tailor a fitness program that would match your needs.
If your cardiovascular health needs improving, you can readily engage in power walking. Power walking with constant and rhythmic pumping of the arms and legs can raise the heart rate and burn calories. Get a pedometer so you can see your “progress” immediately.
Other exercises
If you want to tone your thighs and your buttocks, consider doing lunges. Lunges can easily be carried out in hallways or in any long strip of space where you can go backward and forward easily. At work, consider using the stairs when going to upper floors. It might take longer, but it will be good exercise. Eventually, going up three floors would be as easy as one, two, and three.
If you have a pre-existing membership to a fitness club or a locally gym, take advantage of exercise equipment there. Forget “bulking up” during the first few weeks. Lose as much fat as you can first by engaging in aerobic exercises like treadmills and stationary bikes. If you can engage in exercise for 30 to 40 minutes in this equipment, you’re well on your way to improving your cardiovascular fitness.
Real health threats
According to Stephanie Kong, author of A Minute for Your Health: The ABC’s for Improved Health and Longevity:
“Two out of three people will die from cardiovascular disease or cancer. Eating too much fat contributes to both. Most Americans, even slim ones, eat too much fat. Why take the risk? It’s time you discovered how delicious low-fat eating can be.”
More fish, please!
One easy way to balance the good and bad cholesterol in one’s diet is by eating more fish. Once you fill up on good sources of protein like fish, high-fat red meats won’t be as satisfying. There are plenty of recipes floating around the Internet to make fish more interesting. Frying, filleting and roasting are only three of many ways to cook fish.
McCollum advises regarding brisk walking, the urge of bingeing and cooking at home:”Take a brisk walk when you feel a binge is coming on. You’ll find it refreshing, and you’ll lose weight. Cook more at home. That way you can control the quality of your food and you can control portion sizes. You are the only person who can prevent you from meeting your goals.”You’ve heard the experts; now it’s time to turn those fitness goals into reality.
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Posted in Build A Plan For Your Fitness, Fitness goals | 
Tags: Aerobic Exercises, Arms And Legs, Body Building, Cardiovascular Fitness, Cardiovascular Health, Exercise Equipment, Fitness, Fitness Club, Fitness Evaluation, Fitness goals, Fitness Program, Fitness Programs, Gregory D, Health Threats, Healthy Living, Improved Health, Local Gym, Mccollum, Pedometer, Personal Training Studio, Real Health, Sports, Stationary Bikes, Upper Floors | 
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You Don’t Have to Strain for Cardio Fitness Gains
June 19th, 2009
Quantity may beat quality when it comes to exercise and heart health. Adults who engage in mild exercise — such as walking briskly for 12 miles or exercising moderately for 125-200 minutes over the course of a week — can improve their aerobic fitness significantly and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a study published in Chest.
“The classic exercise regimen has a component of intensity up to 80 percent of someone’s maximum for health benefits,” says lead author Brian D. Duscha of Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina.
“Our study demonstrates that you can exercise at an intensity much less than that and still achieve fitness benefits,” he notes.
“People find exercise ‘hard’ and few people want to exercise at an intensity higher than they have to. Walking briskly for 12 miles a week per week is realistic and does not require anyone to incorporate a hardcore training regimen. Increasing your mileage or intensity will give you even greater health benefits,” Duscha says.
Improved Oxygen Consumption
A Duke Medical Center research team examined the effects of different exercise training regimens on 133 patients aged 40 to 65 years. All were sedentary, overweight nonsmokers who had abnormal levels of fat in their blood.
The participants were divided into four exercise groups:
- high-amount/high-intensity (HAHI), the equivalent of jogging 20 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2 (maximum oxygen consumption);
- low-amount/high-intensity (LAHI), the equivalent of jogging/walking up an inclined treadmill approximately 12 miles per week at 65 to 80 percent peak Vo2;
- low-amount/moderate intensity (LAMI), the equivalent of walking approximately 12 miles per week at 40 to 55 percent peak Vo2; and
- a control group of nonexercising patients.
All patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing twice at baseline and after seven to nine months of exercise training.
All exercise groups significantly improved their absolute and relative peak oxygen consumption and time to exhaustion (TTE) compared to baselines scores.
Increasing Intensity May Help Too
Although the HAHI group showed the greatest improvements in peak Vo2 overall, increasing exercise intensity from 40 to 55 percent to 65 to 80 percent (at a controlled amount of 12 miles/week) did not significantly improve peak oxygen consumption. However, increasing the amount of exercise did produce improvements.
An increase in exercise amount also demonstrated a graded increase in TTE between groups, although data were not statistically significant.
“Although our results did point toward amount being more important, it is very likely fitness levels can be improved by increasing either amount or intensity,” says Duscha.
“This is illustrated by the tiered effect the exercise dose had on fitness improvements across our groups. We believe with more people in the study, increasing intensity would also have been significant,” he explains.
Losing Weight Not Essential
Body mass index (BMI) was reduced in the LAHI and HAHI, groups but remained unchanged in the LAMI group. All exercise groups lost an average of 2.87 pounds after exercise. Baseline characteristics of age, BMI, weight, peak and relative Vo2, and TTE were not different between the groups.
“A second very important message is that subjects enjoyed fitness benefits in the absence of weight loss. Many people exercise with the purpose of losing weight. When they do not lose weight, they do not think the exercise is benefiting them and they stop exercising,” notes Duscha.
“The truth is, you can improve your cardiovascular fitness and reduce your risk for heart disease by exercising without losing weight. Even if individuals do not lose weight, it is likely that they will lose body fat and increase lean muscle mass while reducing other risk factors,” he points out.
12 Miles a Week
Adherence to exercise requires motivation and making exercise a priority, the researchers stress. They advise those who are beginning an exercise regimen to start slowly, choose an enjoyable activity, and make exercise a social activity. Individuals with medical problems should consult a physician before starting an exercise program.
“If you distill our results down, the public health message is: You only need to walk briskly for 12 miles per week or for approximately 125 to 200 minutes per week to improve your health. This sheds more light on the question, ‘What is the minimum amount of exercise I need to do to get a health benefit?’” says Duscha.
“Regular exercise is an important part of a well-balanced lifestyle,” adds Paul A. Kvale, MD, FCCP, President of the American College of Chest Physicians. “Physicians and other healthcare providers should encourage their patients to engage in regular exercise in order to obtain pulmonary and cardiovascular benefits.”
Posted in Build A Plan For Your Fitness |
Tags: Abnormal Levels, Aerobic Fitness, Cardiovascular Fitness, Classic Exercise, Duke Medical Center, Duke University Medical, Duke University Medical Center, Exercise Groups, Exercise Intensity, Exercise Regimen, Exercise Training, Fitness Benefits, Health Benefits, Heart Health, High Intensity, Inclined Treadmill, Medical Center Research, Mild Exercise, Moderate Intensity, Nonsmokers, Oxygen Consumption, Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease, University Medical Center |
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