 | Terri Johnson is a graduate of Emporia State University and Wichita State University. She currently works as an Exercise Physiologist at Health Strategies/Life Strategies Foundation and Wesley Medical Center, working in Cardiac Rehabilitation and Physical Assessment and Testing. Terri educates cardiac patients about their specific diagnosis, procedure or surgery and how to recover, as well as how to modify their lifestyle to reduce risk of further cardiac events. She also works in the Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation laboratory teaching patients how to exercise for a lifetime and how to deal with stress. Terri can be reached at Health Strategies, (316) 651-8060, or at the facility at 551 N Hillside, Wichita, KS 67214. |
Fitness
2002-01-01 14:05:00
Cardiovascular training doesn’t have to be boring
Question: Can I do a variety of different things for my cardiovascular training? I get bored very easily.
Answer: Yes! In fact, I highly recommend it. Cardiovascular training, or aerobic exercise, is defined as any activity that uses large muscle groups, that is aerobic in nature, and can be maintained for a prolonged period of time.Examples of aerobic activities include walking, jogging, bicycling, cross-country skiing, aerobic dance, group exercises, rope-skipping, rowing, stair climbing, swimming, skating, various endurance sports or some combination of these activities.I recommend variety in your training for several reasons. First, variety will help to prevent overuse injuries such as tendonitis or shin splints.Second, variety will help to train your muscles differently. For example, stair climbing trains your lower body while swimming or rowing trains the upper body. And third, variety will help to keep your mind fresh and motivated. Aerobic exercise should be done a minimum of three times a week for 20 minutes to reduce cardiac disease risk. However, if your goal is weight reduction or if you are diabetic, I recommend 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week. In fact, the 1996 Surgeon Generals report recommended that Americans accumulate 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days of the week. In addition, a well-rounded exercise program should include some type of resistance training and flexibility exercises 2-3 times a week.The best cardiovascular exercises are those you enjoy and keep you motivated. Don't be afraid to try something new when boredom begins to set in. Now, go "Exercise your right to good health!"
