Running (aerobic exercise) and the heart!
- wjpetesutton
- Feb 21
- 4 min read
I talk about aerobic exercise a lot throughout my blog posts. The word "aerobic" means "with oxygen." A Mayo Clinic article describes aerobic exercise as an “exercise that can help you live longer, lower your risk of death, and improve your heart health, stamina, and weight control.” Someone else said it is a “physical activity that increases the body's use of oxygen and heart rate.” I think about aerobic exercise as ‘heart exercise.’
Peter Attia MD in his book Outlive writes extensively about cardiorespiratory (heart and lung) fitness and how it can be tracked by determining VO2 max. VO2 max can be calculated but a simple indicator is to notice after you’ve had a really exhausting run and you’re so out of breath that you can barely talk then that is an indicator of your VO2 max.
The 'barely talk' condition will occur during the actual exercise activity sooner or later -- later is better! If it’s later it means you have a higher VO2 max rate (a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness) and that can increase your potential of longevity dramatically.
Years ago, as a teenager and even later, I used to think that exercising was about doing some exercises and then jogging or running a bit. I knew that the running part of it made my heart rate increase to a very high rate. And if I was in a race then at the end of it, I would be totally exhausted and gasping for air. There were no overweight runners. We were all thin. A few years later when I thought I should start doing some regular exercises I instinctively knew that whatever exercises I ended up doing jogging would be one of them.
If you are so out of breath when you exercise that you can barely talk, it's an indicator that you've reached your VO2 max rate. When I used to run in races, by the end I would be totally exhausted and gasping for air.
We see endless TV ads promoting medications that are good for your heart and others that help with various heart problems. So, it was this constant exposure that reminded me not to forget about my heart and find the best way to get it fit along with the rest of me. To do that I would have to include some type of aerobic exercise.
Some say they don’t want to walk or jog, it’s no fun, takes too much time, the weather’s no good, or they just don’t feel like it. They would rather play tennis or golf, shoot baskets somewhere, or play on the neighborhood softball team. Maybe they would rather go to a gym. When you think about it there are not many activities that can be done without space or cost. None of the ones I just mentioned, for sure!
When I was starting out in the world of trying to make a living most of these activities were not available near to my home, and financially they were out of reach anyway. On my meager salary I couldn’t afford clubs or memberships and team sports weren’t available. The only thing I could do was run out the door, up the street, through the park, here and there, and home.
My only cost was a pair of New Balance running shoes. And I got a better aerobic exercise doing that than any of the other things I just mentioned. So that was an easy decision. Jogging and running was portable and cheap. I could go virtually anywhere, jog or run, and do several of my basic exercises.
At the end of my exercise routine, I always feel better! I assume my heart does too! I feel that I’ve done something worthwhile for myself, a sense of accomplishment. It’s good for the mind and body!
If you’re sitting on the sofa right now watching TV and reading this blog then stand up, run out the door, around the block, touch your toes a couple times, and celebrate! You’ve started!
If you’re sitting on the sofa right now watching TV and reading this blog then stand up, run out the door, around the block, touch your toes a couple times, and celebrate! You’ve started!
(Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.)
Getting the right shoes is important!
The right shoes for exercise for one person may not work for another, so it's important to try them on. If New Balance shoes work for you, you can find a vast a selection here. If you want to compare with other brands, check this out. Whatever you do, just make sure you find a solid, stable, well-constructed shoe that fits your particular foot! And then get moving!
Get your own copy of Dr. Peter Attia's book, "Outlive: The Art and Science of Longevity"!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.
You can buy your own copy of Dr. Peter Attia's fascinating book by clicking here. It's definitely worth reading!
Inspiring post!