Everywhere around Ottawa – the canal, the bike paths, and the Gatineau Hills, in the suburbs and in the downtown, people are exercising to stay fit, and their numbers seem to be increasing every year. They are out in all seasons and in all weathers to regain fitness, to lose weight, or to stay competitive in their chosen sports. In one way or another, all of them are responding to the challenges of age and modern life. But for how long will they continue? And what will they actually achieve for life?

 

We all know of people who used to jog,  run, and who had gym memberships. We all know of  those who were able to ski all day, or dance all night, or go end-to-end without pause. So what happened? Why have they changed? It’s time to ask why so many of those who exercise stop long before they achieve their goals.

 

We need to know how to make exercise work throughout life.

 

As a coach I am often asked for advice on how to train, and my European background often leads to answers that differ from what people understand here in  North America. The core answers are so simple that many simply chose to disbelieve, clinging to beliefs of ‘no pain - no gain’, and preferring to train with heart rates near their maximum limits. They cannot believe that simple, low intensity workouts can lead to real lasting change. They know better! Although my specific answers depend on who is asking and why, the simple, core truths about exercise are all too commonly overlooked. Recognizing those truths is the key to effective and sustainable exercise, and most importantly to acquiring health for life.

 

 

 

 

 

The four simple truths about health and fitness apply to everyone, including long-time couch potatoes, teenage MSN addicts, and parents, even those considered to be high-performance athletes. Although each truth can be unravelled to reveal more truths nested within, we need to always maintain a focus on the basics.

 

 

 

The heart always tells the truth and you need to listen to it carefully. How quickly does it rise with increased effort? How quickly does it return to resting when you stop? How low is it when you wake? All of those are key indicators of the heart’s basic fitness, and they are key to recognizing when you are ready and it is safe to engage with the other elements of the progression. What does your heart say?

 

Most people who come to me for personal fitness advice need to exercise only at low-intensity levels characterized by mild sweat and comfortable breathing effort (see sidebar). Through low intensity activities they can gain control of their heart and stabilize its capacity to work efficiently. To bring about real change, they can expect to workout at that level 3-5 times a week for at least a full year. Although most start by thinking the effort is far too easy, all who try are amazed at the changes that occur after 3 – 4 months. Their workouts remain entirely low intensity until the heart indicates it is ready to progress.

 

The first step – gaining control of the heart, is key to everything that follows, so take the time and be patient. Heart-rate monitors are good to use because the heart does not lie.

 

The sequence, type, and intensity of our activities, and most importantly their progression, need to reflect our stage of growth and fitness level. Decisions that affect the heart should not ever be taken lightly, and evaluation of existing fitness levels and reachable goals should be done with a knowledgeable professional. In our North American world of exercise, however, the heart is all too commonly taken for granted, and it is routinely pushed far too hard and far too long. It is a muscle, and it needs to be trained with care because it is the most important single muscle you have. When it goes, you’re gone. Although hard exercise may lead to a heart that is strong like the hand of a construction worker, it performs best when it is both supple and strong throughout the range of its beat, more like the hand of a pianist. The biggest risk is to go too hard too soon. So, the best advice, the only advice that always works, is to start slowly, very slowly, and to build carefully and consistently over time.

 

Ironically, the same advice about low-intensity workouts also applies to most amateur sports where athletes commonly specialize in long, high-intensity workouts. Everyone needs to build from the ground up.  Whatever fitness level is achieved, the majority of training time needs to be spent at low intensity, to protect, maintain, and develop the cardiovascular base. Of course the body is a complex system and it responds wonderfully to exercise in many different ways. It should come as no surprise to learn that in addition to the heart, low-intensity training benefits the entire cardiovascular and metabolic systems. It improves blood circulation and it maximizes fat metabolism – benefits not widely recognized by those who seek to lose weight through exercise. Although it takes time and patience, the best health results occur when the heart and lungs are developed through low intensity activities.

 

If you cannot exercise, then you cannot improve your fitness: it is that simple. To develop health and fitness progressively over time, you need to also be free of overuse injuries. Overuse breakdowns occur when you exercise near your limits and your body cannot recover overnight. The symptoms are very well known – stiffness, pulled muscles, tiredness, joint pain, and illness.  When these become chronic the most common reaction, unfortunately, is to abandon exercise, often permanently. When you work within your limits, not at them, you will not only enjoy the exercise, but every morning you will wake up feeling better than the day before. When that happens, you are able to  develop your fitness progressively through a sustained, daily exercise program, and best of all you will feel good again!