aerobics

Is strength training safe for cardiovascular health and is it healthy? You might be surprised by the results of one study. From this study, Strength Training Early After Myocardial Infarction, comes this quote:

“For the three treatment groups, 30 of 42 subjects had one or more cardiovascular complication (arrhythmias, angina, ischemia, hypertension, hypotension) during the aerobic exercises as compared to only 1 subject with complications during the resistive exercises.”

 An interesting result that speaks for itself - 30 complications for aerobic rehab versus one for resistance exercise rehab.

Another quote from the study:

You’ve seen them performed in aerobics classes. You raise your leg out from your side while standing, while on all fours, or while lying on your side. This is done repeated with one leg and then the other. All the different permutations of sets of legs lifts are performed at least once and sometimes later in the class the raises are repeated.

In 1969 Kenneth Cooper wrote the book “Aerobics” and coined that term to describe a form of exercise. Before that the word aerobic was more often used to describe a type of metabolism. Aerobic metabolism utilizes our energy stores in conjunction with oxygen, while anaerobic metabolism uses those energy stores without the oxygen.

Is strength training beneficial for cardiovascular health and is it safe ? You might be surprised by the results of one study.

“What exercise should I do while I am on vacation?”

I have been asked this a lot over the years. I give the same answer: “Have a good time”.

“But won’t I lose some of the gains that I have made?”

For running the answer might be yes; for strength training the answer is most often no. In fact for strength training it is often beneficial to take a break. Even if it were yes I would still advise one to have a good time and enjoy the good health they worked hard to achieve. You need a mental as well as a physical break from exercise every once in a while.

A Thirty Year Self-inflicted Wound Part 2
A Thirty Year Self-inflicted Wound Part 1

From this New York Times Article, Whatever Happened to Jane Fonda in Tights? , are quotes from those who did years of aerobics: