Sunday Story…More Priorities (exercise edition)

The three key components of exercise are strength, cardio-respiratory, and mobility. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and bone density, cardio-respiratory work improves heart and lung function, and mobility exercises enhance flexibility and movement through different planes. These elements are crucial for sustaining physical health and vitality as we age.

The mobility (strength plus flexibility) piece is the easiest one. There are several mobility apps…GOWOD and Pliability are two of the apps I know of. If you want GOWOD, I have a discount code for you! It’s the one I use, but both are good. Mobility is essential to keep your body flexible and strong through many different planes of movement. I do 15 minutes a day, 5 7 days per week.

Cardiorespiratory work has three pillars: long slow distance, VO2 max, and sprinting.

Long, slow distance is also known as zone 2 training and is a conversational pace. You may not want to converse, but you could if necessary. To be truly accurate, you will need a heart rate monitor.

Your VO2 max may be one of the best benchmarks for longevity. VO2 max (also maximal oxygen consumption, maximal oxygen uptake, or maximal aerobic capacity) is the maximum oxygen consumption rate attainable during physical exertion. So, the higher your VO2 max is, the more work you can do and the longer you can do it. This measure requires more equipment and work to obtain. There is a formula that uses bodyweight and other measurements, but it is only a guesstimate.

When we talk about sprinting, we mean your maximum sustained output for 10-30 seconds. Think of the 100-year dash or a 10-cal row. It is hard and fast, and you are all in when you finish. Then you repeat several times with lots of rest in between.

 These three cardiorespiratory areas are essential, especially in the longevity space.

So, mobility every day. Long, slow distance 2 or 3 times a week. VO2 max training 1 or 2 times a week, and sprint training only 1 time per week or less.

Next week, we will tackle strength training!

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412