weight loss

"Aerobics" was first coined by Dr. Kenneth Cooper, an exercise physiologist at San Antonio Air Force Hospital. He developed the formula of subtracting your age from 220 and exercising with the heart rate at 60-80% of that number. Though originally formulated to help astronauts, the benefits of "aerobics" made Dr. Cooper realize that this type of exercise is useful for everyone.

Since that time, the original formula has been improved, and studies have shown several benefits of regular aerobic exercise, such as:

*Weight loss & maintaining weight (aerobic exercise burns fat!)

*Increased long-term energy and stamina

*Improved mood

*Pain relief (by natural endorphin production)

*Stronger heart & better circulation (keeps arteries clear and helps prevent heart disease)

*Better blood sugar control and adrenal health

*Lower blood pressure

*Stronger bones and prevention of osteoporosis

*Stronger immune system

*Longer life expectancy

If you're suffering from low energy, dwindling endurance, aches and pains, excessive body fat, stress, or if you crave sugar or carbs, chances are you're not getting enough aerobic exercise!

The intensity and duration of exercise determine whether the muscles work aerobically or anaerobically. Aerobic exercise requires a very specific level of intensity for a minimum of thirty minutes. If the heart rate is too low or too high, the exercise becomes anaerobic instead.

During true aerobic exercise, the body burns fat for energy. Converting fat into energy requires oxygen, hence the name "aerobic." Aerobic exercise is useful for providing muscle endurance (energy for hours or days at a time without fatigue). This is particularly important for muscles that support posture, joints, and arches of the feet. If there is not enough aerobic exercise for these types of muscles, the chances of joint problems, injuries, and low stamina go up.

In anaerobic exercise, the body burns sugar (glucose) for energy. As the name "anaerobic" suggests, oxygen is not required for this type of energy production. Burning sugar is useful for providing short term speed and power. Muscles cannot burn sugar for long, though, and so they fatigue quickly. Most people have no shortage of anaerobic exercise -- even when you're sitting, your body is doing some tasks anaerobically. Plus virtually all sports are anaerobic in nature due to their alternating bursts of high intensity (anaerobic) exercise and rest.

Dr. Phil Maffetone is an internationally recognized researcher who has greatly enhanced our understanding of aerobic exercise and endurance training. He studied many athletes before and after workouts, measuring indicators like heart rate, gait mechanics, and muscle imbalance. Dr. Maffetone discovered that the athletes who exercised using Dr. Cooper's original formula often wound up over-training and suffering from injuries, pain, joint problems, and distortions in posture and body mechanics. After much work, Dr. Maffetone developed a new and improved formula for calculating each person's target heart rate for true aerobic exercise.

There are just four simple steps to proper aerobic exercise and all its benefits:

1. Invest in a heart rate monitor. It's just not a good idea to rely on the "feel" of a workout or to guess at whether your heart rate is too low or too high. There are many brands and models to choose from. Polar is an industry leader and is usually a safe bet. I recommend purchasing a model that has a chest strap as well as a wrist watch/display. If you work out in a gym rather than outdoors, invest in a model that is coded so that there is no electrical signal interference from other devices in the gym.

2. Calculate your maximum aerobic heart rate using Dr. Maffetone's formula. Just subtract your age from 180 to calculate your maximum aerobic heart rate. As an example, a 34 year old would have a maximum aerobic heart rate of 146 beats per minute. There are some modifiers and exceptions to this formula, and they are as follows:

*Subtract another 10 from the maximum aerobic heart rate if: recovering from major illness or surgery, or if on any regular medications.

*Subtract another 5 from the max aerobic heart rate if you're injured, have regressed in competition or training, suffer from more than two bouts of cold/flu each year, have asthma or allergies, are just beginning to train, or if you have not been training consistently (Dr. Maffetone defines consistency as at least 4 times per week for 2 years).

*Add 5 to the max heart rate if: training consistently for more than 2 years without injuries or problems and have made progress in competition.

*Add 10 to the max heart rate if: over the age of 65.

*This formula does not apply to athletes 16 years old or younger. Best bet for these athletes is 165 as the max heart rate.

*If in doubt, choose the lower maximum heart rate.

3. Calculate your minimum aerobic heart rate. Simply subtract 10 points from the maximum aerobic heart rate. So a healthy 32 year old would have a max of 148 and a minimum of 138.

4. Jog, walk, swim, or bike while using the heart rate monitor. Be sure to stay within your aerobic heart rate zone for at least 30 minutes at a time, and at least 3 times per week. Do not exceed 90 minutes at a time without a doctor's supervision.

You will discover that it's surprisingly easy to exercise aerobically. It doesn't take much effort to elevate your heart rate to the target zone. That's good news for couch potatoes (talk about exercising smarter, not harder!), but sometimes frustrating for athletes who don't want to slow down their training. However, athletes need to do this to protect their bodies. The silver lining for athletes is that, as your heart becomes more aerobically fit, you'll be able to quicken the pace without exceeding your maximum aerobic heart rate. With your trusty heart rate monitor to guide you, you'll soon also discover that any activity other than running, walking, cycling or swimming (at a steady pace) is likely anaerobic.

As a chiropractor and acupuncturist, I've noticed substantial benefits for both myself and my patients who invest a little bit of time each week to exercise aerobically. The immediate and long-term benefits are well worth the effort!