Aerobic exercise: how often and for how long?

aerobic exercise

Synonyms: Also called cardio or resistance training.

Components of an exercise session:

An individual exercise session should ideally include the following components:

• Warm-up: 5-10 minutes in duration, should include moderate-intensity cardio or calisthenics, can be non-specific or activity-specific, ie warm up your thigh muscles more on or before a squat day to jog The warm-up prepares the body both physically and psychologically for the challenge ahead. Although scientific evidence is lacking, anecdotal evidence suggests that warming up can help prevent injuries.

• Conditioning: should last from 20 to 60 minutes. and includes aerobic training, resistance training or outdoor sports. This phase is responsible for the maximum benefits derived from the exercise session for the tissues.

• Cooldown: Must last a minimum of 5 to 10 min.; Like the warm-up phase, this would also include moderate intensity cardio or muscle building exercises. This gradually brings the heart rate back to normal and also prevents the sudden drop in blood pressure seen in susceptible people.

• Stretching: It should last 10 min. Again, like the warm-up phase, this one can be non-specific or specific, that is, the muscles exercised that day or that session must be stretched. Stretching prevents muscle soreness (primarily DOMS or delayed-onset muscle soreness) especially seen with resistance training by removing lactic acid buildup during exercise.

FITT principle applied to aerobic exercise: the word FITT stands for frequency, intensity, time (duration) and type of exercise included in the session.

1. Exercise frequency

The number of days a week you exercise is a crucial determinant of fitness, as well as the overall health benefits of your sessions. Moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise (> or equal to 60% VO2R) of 1 to 2 sessions per day is recommended. However, for the physically inactive, lower intensity training for more sessions per day should be prescribed. Most authorities recommend low to moderate aerobic intensity for at least 3 to 5 days a week, if not most days of the week. A combination of moderate to vigorous activity for 3 days will also be enough for health benefits.

2. Exercise intensity

To achieve health benefits, a minimum intensity of moderate levels (40% – 60% of VO2R) is required. However, as stated above, a combination of moderate to severe intensity aerobic activity (> or = 60% VO2R) can lead to faster and better results.

3. Time (duration) of the exercise

This means the amount of time spent exercising either per session, per day or per week. In addition, the time spent exercising can be calculated by adding intervals of 10 or 20 min. The principle behind this is consideration of the number of calories expended exercising per week. Evidence suggests that burning a total of 1,000 calories per week by accumulating exercise throughout the week results in health and fitness benefits. Leading researchers agree with 150 min. of physical exercise per week as the minimum necessary to obtain cardiovascular benefits. This translates to 30 min. of aerobic activity 5 days a week.

4.Type of exercise

Aerobic exercise involving large muscle groups (thighs) is recommended for maximum cardiovascular benefits. The type of exercise that can be done can be brisk walking, jogging, running, bicycling, rowing, aerobics class, dancing, swimming, cross-country skiing. Weekend recreational sports activities like basketball, tennis or soccer can also provide a different stimulus for the body.

Conclusion: a moderate to high intensity aerobic exercise for a minimum of 30 min. per day for 3 to 5 days a week is the current recommendation for health and fitness benefits from an aerobic exercise program.