Kenneth Gardner - Fitness Club

A decrease in our aerobic capacity is a sure sign of ageing. However, by doing aerobic exercises, we can increase our aerobic capacity and slow down the ageing process.

Aerobic exercises improve the status of our heart and lung functions (this is called cardiorespiratory fitness). One's level of cardiorespiratory fitness is a good indicator of ageing in the heart, blood vessels, lungs. The combination of the abilities of our lungs, heart and blood vessels to provide enough oxygen to our muscles during continuous exercise over an extended period of time indicates cardiorespiratory fitness.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is a significant determinant of our work capacity.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is considered as one of the most important aspects of fitness. When our work capacity declines with age, it can be significantly reversed by performing even very moderate aerobic activities. Aerobic activities are used extensively to medicate persons who have cardiovascular disease and the related risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

Rehabilitates heart patients

Supervised aerobic exercises are used very successively and extensively in the rehabilitation of heart patients and they do demonstrate remarkable improvements and are able to return to normal life. The incidences as well as the severity of cardiovascular disease are lower among persons who participate in regular activities, especially those who participate in aerobic activities. These persons live longer and their death rates from most causes of mortality are much lower.

Aerobic exercises cause positive changes in our blood cholesterol profile as well as increase the capillaries and blood flow around the heart. Aerobic exercises increase the capability of the lungs, heart and blood vessels to deliver adequate oxygen to our muscles to maintain physical activity. Our aerobic capacity is the maximum amount of oxygen which we use during intense exercise. The aerobic capacity of the average sedentary individual starts to decline when he or she is in his or her 30s. This may be reduced by 40 to 60 per cent by the age of 70. Those who remain active, experience less than half of that aerobic capacity loss. Thus, the average individual who exercises can be half as old as persons in his or her own age group in terms of his or her ability to engage in physical activity. This concept similarly applies to the heart.

Examples of aerobic exercises

Some excellent examples of aerobic exercises are walking, jogging, swimming, riding and any physical activity which is done for at least one minute and which increases breathing and heart rates and, also maintains these elevated rates for the duration of the activity.

Weight training with light or moderately heavy weights can also be used to do aerobic exercises, such as:

The bench press

1. Lie on your back with your shoulders directly under the bar with moderately heavy weight on a barbell.

2. Grip the bar with your hands, four to six inches wider than your shoulders.

3. Arms fully extended, slowly bend your arms and lower the bar until it touches your chest.

4. Slowly straighten your arms and return to the starting point.

5. Do as many repetitions as you can, until you feel tired.

Angled leg press

1. Sit with your knees bent, place your feet about shoulder width apart and parallel to each other on the pedal of the exercise equipment.

2. Keep your back flat on the back support of the equipment.

3. Straighten your legs fully.

4. Slowly bend your knees to allow the weight to return to the starting position.

5. Repeat the routine as many times as you can, until you feel tired.

Dr Kenneth Gardner is an exercise physiologist at Holiday Hills Research Center; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.