Physical Education viewed through the Lens of Healthspan, Part Four – Aerobic Training

This blog is the fourth in a series discussing how to gain perspective on the value of physical education by viewing it through the lens of "Healthspan".

In Part One – General Concepts, we quickly covered current shortfalls in physical education, the concepts of lifespan and healthspan, and basic pillars of exercise that are part of the applied science of longevity. In Part Two – Stability, we discussed key elements of and resources on stability: an important component of health that safeguards against falls and injuries and enhances our ability to complete movements safely and confidently. In Part Three – Strength, we discussed key elements of and resources on strength: the ability of the muscles, bones and joints to effect a force on physical objects. Without requisite physical strength we cannot perform daily tasks (or at best be limited in the types of tasks which we can accomplish).

In this part, we'll be covering improving Healthspan through Aerobic Training.

Aerobic Training

Aerobic training is any rhythmic, repetitive activity that uses your body’s large muscle groups. Walking, cycling and swimming are some examples of aerobic training. Aerobic training slightly increases your heart rate and how much oxygen your body uses. Aerobic training lowers cholesterol and reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Much current discussion of Aerobic Training focuses on maintaining a "Zone 2" heart rate.

Aerobic Training provides the following benefits:

• Reduces risk of dying - a long term Harvard study concluded that engaging in moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise reduced the risk of dying by 24% to 34%
• Improves heart health - increases VO2max, a cardiorespiratory fitness predictor.
• Increases stroke volume - by increasing the volume of blood pumped with each stroke of a healthier heart, the risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced.
• Lowers resting heart rate - as heart efficiency improves with exercise, the resting heart rate is reduced. This also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

So it is critical for overall healthspan (and especially in later years) that we develop and maintain strong heart and lung function through aerobic training.

As educators viewing physical education through the lens of healthspan, it becomes obvious that we must inform students about the importance of and methods for aerobic training. For a long and healthy life, students need to develop a good grasp of what types of activity produce Zone 2 results, as well as work on building habits for a healthy frequency of aerobic training.

Key Elements of Aerobic Training

Key elements of Aerobic Training:

• Activates Large Muscle Groups - Exercises that combine use of the legs, chest, back, shoulders, arms and core.
• Rhythmic and Repetitive - Exercise that moves your body through a flow of repetitive patterns building bones, improving flexibility and increasing endurance.
• Aerobic (With Oxygen) - Adequate oxygen is being inhaled and reaching your muscles to produce energy, avoiding anaerobic energy production (without oxygen) which would result in a buildup of lactic acid with symptoms of muscular pain and tiredness.
• Elevated Heart Rate - Your heart is beating faster than your resting heart rate, and being exercised enough above that base level to build endurance without being overstressed.
• Zone 2 - Zone 2 is 60-70% of your maximum heart rate, a low intensity pace that you can endure for long periods of time without intervals of rest. Your heart rate rises just from standing up after sitting, so exercising at 60-70% of max heart rate is far less than most people imagine.
• Talk Test - Informal measurement of exercise intensity wherein you can carry on a conversation and speak clearly and effortlessly, but not be interested in the continued effort required for holding an ongoing conversation.
• 150 Minutes Per Week - Current recommendations suggest 30 minutes a day, five days per week. The repetitive effort over multiple days is more important that the total amount.

Resources on Aerobic Training

Dr. Peter Attia has a number of video clips discussing "Zone 2" Aerobic Training and its impact on Longevity.

Cleveland Clinic - Aerobic Exercise: What It Is, Benefits & Examples

Mayo Clinic - Zone 2 Cardio: What is It and Why is It Trending Online?

Aerobic Exercise for Teenagers

Physical activity guidelines for children and young people

Top 8 Beneficial Aerobic Exercises for Kids

Looking Forward in This Blog Series

We have one more pillar to cover as the subject of future blogs:

• Anaerobic Training

So our next blog in this series will be Physical Education viewed through the Lens of Healthspan, Part Five – Anaerobic Training.

Until then just remember: we’re encouraging you to take a critical look at how you currently view physical education. Start by retiring the notion of “gym class” and reevaluate every moment you spend on teaching physical education. Reframe every class of physical education as a critical component to optimizing lifespan and healthspan. As an educator, how well are you meeting those two goals? Focus not on attaining the greater good, but the greatest possible good from your efforts.

Guest Blogger:

Bill Franklin, the CEO of Internet4Classrooms, is our guest blogger this month. He has been on the faculty at The George Washington University, has years of platform instructional experience, was a career Army Special Operations officer and also has decades of experience as a youth sports coach.