A1601

Course:

LMCS 3652 Basic Wellness Set 1 Session 1 2017/2018

Title:

Types of Physical Fitness Training (Aerobic Exercise)

Lecturer:

Miss Nur Fadzrin binti Tarmizi

Name:
Yong Qing-Xin

Matric Number:

A159264
Introduction

Every living thing exercises. It includes any kind of bodily activity that is perform by
the individual for various reasons and is very beneficial for the human body. By exercising,
one can boost their immune system and curb multiple diseases, prevent stress and depression,
increase self-esteem and most importantly keep us healthy and fit. Generally, physical exercise
can be grouped into three types, including aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise and flexibility
exercise that have different effects on the human body (U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 2006). Only aerobic exercise would be discussed in this report.

Introduced by Kenneth Cooper in the 1960s, aerobic means “with oxygen”, while
aerobic exercise is explained as exercise that consumes more oxygen to meet energy demands
via aerobic metabolism. It consists of light to moderate intensity and continuous rhythmic
motions which increases one’s heart rate and respiration while also building physical endurance.
It can be performed for a prolonged duration, ranging from minutes to several hours. Below
we will discuss the types of aerobic exercise, its positive effects on the human body and also
some of its drawbacks.

Types and benefits

The American College of Sports Medicine has divided aerobic exercise into three
groups based on varying intensity of physical activity according to age-adjusted predicted
maximum heart rate. A 20-year-old has a maximum heart rate of 200 beats per minute, while
a 70-year-old can achieve maximum 150 beats per minute. Regardless of the intensity, the goal
of aerobic exercise or training is to increase cardiovascular endurance which is stamina,
differing from anaerobic exercise that targets and build individual muscles and increase
strength through short bursts of strenuous activity.

Group 1: Low-intensity

The first group consists of easy and low-impact physical activities which requires less
than 50% of age-adjusted predicted maximum heart rate, for example walking and cycling.
Such activities require less energy to perform and are suitable for the elderly and people who
have health conditions that limit their ability to do intense exercise. Aerobic exercises of this
group aim to improve general health and fitness, and has been proven to improve psychological
health with continuers of such exercises reporting less depressed mood. (Winfried, 2009) Low-
intensity aerobic exercises could also strike significant increase in regional brain volume of
people between ages 60 to 79 (Stanley, 2006). However, some researches have shown that low-
intensity aerobic exercise is less effective for post-treatment pain compared to moderate
intensity. It is encouraged to gradually increase intensity and duration of aerobic exercise to
achieve optimum benefits, with continuity as the basis of the exercise regime.

Group 2: Moderate intensity

The second group are exercises with moderate intensity which requires the target heart
rate zone, which is 50-75% of the age-adjusted predicted maximum heart rate and aims to
condition and tone the heart and lungs. Example of moderate intensity aerobic exercises are
hiking, dancing, brisk-walking and swimming. Moderate aerobic exercise is most
recommended by specialists as it is the most healthful activity level and is suitable for active
people of all ages. Exercises of this category has been proven to contribute to weight
maintenance especially among obese women, prevent or delay type 2 diabetes by improving
blood glucose control and also reduces blood pressure in both hypertensive and normotensive
persons (Andersen, 1999) (Whelton, 2002). Moderate intensity activities such as walking can
burn 280 calories per hour while hiking can burn as much as 370 calories per hour. The numbers
vary according to the weight of the person, with lighter people burning less calories and heavier
people burning more. Combining a healthy, low-calorie diet with moderate to high intensity
aerobic exercise will generate best results for people who are trying to lose weight.

Group 3: High intensity

The final group covers highly intense and strenuous exercises that requires more than
75% of age-adjusted predicted maximum heart rate, for instance skilled sports such as
basketball and soccer. These aerobic exercises burn the most calories, ranging from 440
calories per hour of playing basketball to 590 calories per hour of jogging. However, this
category of aerobic training is only suitable for people who are in excellent physical condition,
or else it would lead to injuries. People who are fitter will be able to perform these activities
easier and for a longer period of time. Increased stamina would benefit not only for exercising
but also in carrying out daily activities. Consistent aerobic exercise induces a lower mortality
rate and an overall higher quality of life, with statistics showing improvements in certain
cognitive functions, reduced risks of cancer, stronger cardiovascular system and higher bone
mineral density.
 Choosing the suitable intensity for aerobic exercise depends on the physical fitness,
expected benefits and various individual preferences of a person, such as cost and preferred
time for workout. A point to note is that aerobic activity sessions can be spread throughout the
day, with the recommended minimum duration of 30 minutes per day, one could take 10
minutes per session to perform aerobic training 3 times a day. Subsequently, one should always
keep track of their heart rate to identify and adjust the intensity of their exercise routine.
Another important tip is that each aerobic training session should include warmup and cool
down motions that allows the body to gradually prepare and relax, which reduces chances of
injuries, and stretching after each activity period increases muscle and joint flexibility.

Drawbacks

However good aerobic exercise sounds, it has its drawbacks. First of all, excessive
aerobic exercise causes overuse injuries such as strain, spasm and tearing of muscles because
of repetitive and high-impact training and also due to poorly regimented exercise schedules.
Besides, too much aerobic exercise could increase the chance of stroke and other circulation
problems due to high cardiac output, causing death of cardiac muscle cell and increased stress
on the heart. One of the most salient example is distance running, where athletes who train for
multiple marathons has been associated with scarring of the heart and heart rhythm
abnormalities.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, aerobic activity is crucial for an overall healthy lifestyle, bringing about
countless benefits to people of all age group if done appropriately. It is unnecessary to compare
between different types of exercise as one could choose any preferred physical activity based
on their goal and abilities. It is also noted that any form of exercise should be controlled by
each body's inherent limitations. According to experts from the American College of Sports
Medicine, the exercise program should be modified according to an individual’s habitual
physical activity, physical function, health status, exercise responses and stated goals. Doing
the right types of exercise regularly at suitable intensity for an appropriate duration, brings
about the most beneficial outcomes mentally and physically. We have to be aware of over-
exercising caused by doing aerobic exercise too hard, too often for too long as to decrease the
chances of overuse injuries and promote a well-regimented exercise schedule.

References

Garber C.E., Blissmer B., Deschenes M.R., Franklin B.A., Lamonte M.J., Lee I.M., Nieman
D.C., Swain D.P. 2011. Quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining
cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal, and neuromotor fitness in apparently healthy adults:
guidance for prescribing exercise. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 43(7):1334-
1359.

Ross E. Andersen, PhD; Thomas A. Wadden, PhD; Susan J. Barlett, PhD. 1999. Effects of
Lifestyle Activity vs Structured Aerobic Exercise in Obese Women: A Randomized Trial.
JAMA. 281(4):335-340.

S.P. Whelton, A. Chin, J. He. 2002. Effect of Aerobic Exercise on Blood Pressure: A Meta-
Analysis of Randomized, Controlled Trials. Tulane University, New Orleans.

Stanley J. Colcombe, Kirl I. Erikson, Paige E. Scalf, Jenny S. Kim, Ruchika Prakash, Edward
McAuley, Streriani Elavsky, David X. Marquez, Liang Hu, Arthur F. Kramer. 2006. Aerobic
Exercise Training Increases Brain Volume in Aging Humans. The Journals of Gerontology.
Series A, Volume 61, Issue 11, 1166-1170.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2006. Your Guide to Physical Activity and
Your Heart. NIH Publication.

Winfried Hauser, Petra Klose, Jost Langhorst, Babak Moradi, Mario Steinbach, Marcus
Schiltenwolf, Angela Bush. 2010. Efficacy of different types of aerobic exercise in
fibromyalgia syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Arthritis Research & Therapy. BioMed Central Ltd.