Aerobic Fitness

Cardiorespiratory fitness, endurance fitness or aerobic fitness refers to the ability of the heart-lung system to deliver oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the working muscle during prolonged exercise activities. The greater this ability, the higher the cardiorespiratory fitness level or cardiovascular endurance level. A low level of cardiorespiratory fitness is directly related to lack of exercise. A regular exercise program leads to adaptive changes in the system to yield a higher cardiorespiratory fitness level. Regular exercise is a significant factor in reducing the severity of cardiovascular disease. To obtain an adaptive response of the cardio-respiratory system, demands must be made on the system that exceed those normally encountered. Considerable research has been done to determine the demand that must be placed on the cardiorespiratory system to result in adaptive changes for improved aerobic fitness.

Four factors must be considered:

(1) Frequency of Exercise - 3 times per week is the minimum required for improvement.
4 to 6 times per week will provide greater improvement.

(2) Duration of each Exercise Session - is the amount of time during each exercise session that the appropriate intensity is continuously maintained. Minimum is 20 minutes per exercise session. Duration and intensity are dependent upon each other in order to achieve improvement. Duration needs to be increased if lower end intensity levels are chosen within the appropriate range.

(3) Intensity of the Exercise - is the degree of difficulty. Intensity is the most critical component of the exercise prescription. A number of methods have been developed to determine the appropriate intensity level. Two of these methods are discussed in adjoining articles - heart rate reserve method to calculate target heart rate range and the rate of perceived exertion. A third method is maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max).

(4) The Type of Exercise - in order for exercise to provide for improvement of the cardiorespiratory system, it must involve large muscle groups, be rhythmical and continuous while providing an adequate but not too great intensity. It must also be enjoyable. Examples are walking/jogging, running, bicycling, swimming, rope skipping, aerobic movement to music, or cross country skiing.

Aerobic Fitness
Cardiorespiratory fitness, endurance fitness or aerobic fitness refers to the ability of the heart-lung system to deliver oxygen to and remove carbon dioxide from the working muscle during prolonged exercise activities. The greater this ability, the higher the cardiorespiratory fitness level or cardiovascular endurance level. A low level of cardiorespiratory fitness is directly related to lack of exercise. A regular exercise program leads to adaptive changes in the system to yield a higher cardiorespiratory fitness level. Regular exercise is a significant factor in reducing the severity of cardiovascular disease. To obtain an adaptive response of the cardio-respiratory system, demands must be made on the system that exceed those normally encountered. Considerable research has been done to determine the demand that must be placed on the cardiorespiratory system to result in adaptive changes for improved aerobic fitness. Four factors must be considered: (1) Frequency of Exercise - 3 times per week is the minimum required for improvement. 4 to 6 times per week will provide greater improvement. (2) Duration of each Exercise Session - is the amount of time during each exercise session that the appropriate intensity is continuously maintained. Minimum is 20 minutes per exercise session. Duration and intensity are dependent upon each other in order to achieve improvement. Duration needs to be increased if lower end intensity levels are chosen within the appropriate range. (3) Intensity of the Exercise - is the degree of difficulty. Intensity is the most critical component of the exercise prescription. A number of methods have been developed to determine the appropriate intensity level. Two of these methods are discussed in adjoining articles - heart rate reserve method to calculate target heart rate range and the rate of perceived exertion. A third method is maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max). (4) The Type of Exercise - in order for exercise to provide for improvement of the cardiorespiratory system, it must involve large muscle groups, be rhythmical and continuous while providing an adequate but not too great intensity. It must also be enjoyable. Examples are walking/jogging, running, bicycling, swimming, rope skipping, aerobic movement to music, or cross country skiing.
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