Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic Exercise

Moderate Aerobic Exercise

Moderate aerobic exercise is activity that is typically prolonged and steady. During moderate aerobic exercise your heart rate and breathing rate will increase somewhat, but not enough to prohibit you from continuing for an extended period (say, at least 30 minutes). Examples are walking and hiking, and steady-paced slow running.  Gentle sustained exercise on an elliptical machine or stationary exercise bike, or walking on a treadmill also should be regarded as moderate aerobic exercise. Moderate exercise in the Age Later program should raise your heart rate to a level of around 50 percent of your heart rate maximum—but should not exceed 65 percent of the maximum heart rate for your age group, as given in the table “Heart Rate Exercise Zones.”

Here are some moderate aerobic exercises to include in your program:

  • Walking (briskly): fairly level ground, faster and more purposeful than a stroll.
  • Jogging: moderate steady pace, no sprinting; carry light weights to give your arms more exercise.
  • Hiking on trails: steady pace, even surface, with some inclines uphill and downhill.
  • Road cycling: steady cadence with some hills.
  • Tennis, squash, badminton, basketball, indoor soccer and volleyball: friendly and relaxed games, not highly competitive.
  • Swimming: Easy pace, depending on your level of proficiency; the sort of pace you can maintain for a long time.
  • Water aerobics, gentle.
  • Running in place
  • Dancing
  • Treadmill: brisk walking pace, gentle to moderate incline.
  • Elliptical machine or stationary bike: moderate pace.
  • Jumping rope, jumping jacks and similar exercises.

The amount of time to spend on moderate aerobic exercise depends on your level of fitness and what you want to achieve, as described later in this chapter. You can do planned moderate aerobic exercise more than once in a day, but try to make each session at least 10 minutes long, otherwise the effort has limited value. I suggest spreading your moderate aerobic exercise over at least two days, and up to five days per week, with each session lasting at least 10 minutes (preferably, 15).

If you’re on a tight schedule, replace some of your moderate aerobic exercise with vigorous aerobic exercise. For every 10 minutes of moderate exercise substitute five minutes of vigorous exercise; you’ll cut that chunk of exercise time in half—and gain a similar or even greater benefit.

Vigorous Aerobic Exercise

Vigorous aerobic exercise is activity that raises your heart rate substantially further than moderate exercise, and so it makes you breath more heavily. Vigorous aerobic exercise should raise your heart rate to about 65 percent of the suggested maximum heart rate for your age as given in the aforementioned “Heart Rate Exercise Zones” table. Above that level, you may start to feel burning in your muscles; that’s a sign that you’re crossing the boundary into anaerobic exercise. Some slight muscle pain is indicative of progress in breaking down and rebuilding muscle tissue, but don’t take this too far and don’t stress sore muscles for too long. If you want to go further and build significant muscle, see my notes below on strength training.

  • Running or fast jogging: fairly level ground, some inclines; faster than a gentle jog.
  • Treadmill: running pace, gentle to severe incline.
  • Hiking on trails: Steady brisk pace, mixed surfaces, some steep inclines uphill and downhill.
  • Swimming: Fast pace, depending on your level of proficiency; the sort of pace that will tire you in less than 10
  • Road and trail cycling: Steady fast cadence with steep hills, up and down.
  • Elliptical machine, stationary bike or rowing machine: set to a high resistance to get the lungs going.
  • Tennis, squash, badminton, basketball, indoor soccer, outdoor soccer or volleyball: competitive matches.

The minimum amount of time you spend on vigorous aerobic exercise depends on the level of exercise you choose. To be of most value, each vigorous aerobic session should be at least 15 minutes. Try to space out your vigorous aerobic sessions. Don’t do two sets on the same day, or on two days in a row. This allows your muscles to repair and recover between sessions. If possible, do your vigorous aerobics and your strength exercises on different days of the week.

High Intensity Interval Training

A step up from vigorous aerobic exercise is High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), which is an approach to exercise that may have some advantages compared to moderate or aerobic exercise. In HIIT, you exercise to an extreme degree (that is, as hard and fast as you can) for a short time, and then you coast at a moderate level for a period. Then you repeat.

HIIT can be used with almost any type of exercise listed in the Vigorous Aerobic Exercise section. The periods of intense activity can be as short as a few seconds, up to five minutes or more. The relaxation periods in between usually run about the same length but can be much longer. Because there are many variants of HIIT, each with its own benefits, I recommend waiting until you’ve been exercising for a few weeks before considering HIIT; this will ensure that you’ve reached a reasonable level of fitness. When you’re ready, consider first discussing HIIT options with a trainer.

As with all exercises, HIIT will improve the condition of your muscles and cardio-vascular system, but HIIT may deliver results more quickly and with a smaller investment of time than other exercise patterns. HIIT may also help you to burn more fat. HIIT should be seen primarily as a replacement for vigorous aerobic activity. Continue to include other exercises—such as stretching and strength exercises—in your program.

For more information on HIIT, download the short brochure provided by the American College of Sports Medicine.