Exercise is a funny thing. When we are young, we are out on the playground all day, playing, running, climbing and jumping. I can’t tear my own children away from the playground or park. The indoor warehouses that have sprouted out in strip centers host human habitrails for our kids and they run all through them and they do not expect food on the other end. So what happened to us? It can’t be we got too old, too busy, too dumb, too smart too: fill in your excuse here. Excuses are the reasons we give for not wanting to do something. If I do not want to do something you may get me to do it, but it will be a half-hearted and short – lived effort. What are some good reasons to exercise?

 

The physiology of the cardiovascular system is a great reason. What does that mean? The heart and lungs work together so we can maximize the oxygen that we breathe in. If you can for a moment please take a deep breath in and out. You just engaged in a voluntary “exercise”. The abdominal muscles help expand and contract allowing the rib cage to expand so the well protected lungs can maximize their ability to exchange oxygen with our blood stream. While you finished reading this sentence, you may have already involuntarily taken 3 or four more breathes. Inhaling and exhaling. Previously we discussed breathing as a means of relaxation and focus to decrease stress. Now we are using breathing as an example of why we must exercise. Oxygen, a gas not visible to the naked eye, is inhaled through the mouth and nose, travels into the trachea (wind pipe), lungs, bronchi, alveoli, and diffuses across the capillary bed into the liquid blood. That process alone has me in awe of the human body. How can we possibly improve on something as brilliant as that? Well we can. By simply adding more activity we improve the oxidation process. Cardiovascular function is the process by which the heart and lungs are directed by the brain to send oxygen throughout the body.

 

There are two main types of exercise:

1. Increasing and improving cardiovascular function, or aerobic based exercise; and
2. Improving muscular strength or resistance type exercise. Most people when they think of exercise think of the aerobic types such as jogging, biking, swimming etc… Resistance exercise will consist of weight training, isometric exercise, push ups, sit ups etc…

 

I have worked in and around health clubs since 1984. My first foray into the world of exercise was with the original Nautilus circuit training. This program was ahead of its time. I would check in and receive my card. This card charted my workout with goals and I kept a log of my routine; sets, repetitions and weight. The entire workout was under 30 minutes. If I missed a day, they called me. This process enhanced my physical fitness level and improved my performance. My reasons for doing this were based on improving my output and strength level for baseball. This level of commitment allowed me to enhance my natural ability so I could compete at the highest level. I did play baseball at a high level into my early thirties and I attribute that to my fitness level. My performance enhancing was purely and solely due to hard work on and off the field.