Here is the conclusion Jeff made:
@JeffN said:You can sum this all up by simply saying - Aim for 30-60 minutes per day, most days of the week (5-6), which will depend on intensity, and will include both aerobic and resistance training. Another way to look at it is, 150 to 300 minutes per week. The inclusion of some balance, flexibility work is also recommended as is a few intervals.
I do not know of any doctor in this field who recommends more than these guidelines as part of any of these programs. The one program that incorporates the most formal exercise is Pritikin, and they use the above guidelines.
First, let's look at what the Pritikin Longevity Center says now.
The Pritikin Exercise Plan recommends 30 to 90 minutes of cardiovascular conditioning 6 days a week (7 days if you have diabetes), at 70 to 80% of your maximum predicted heart rate, also known as your Target Heart Rate Zone.
If there was not other research to support my disagreement with this exercise range, I would think Jeff and I looked at different references and ignore it. I'll address the source of my disagreement later.
The most comprehensive studies on the effects of exercise on health were, and are continuing to be done, by Dr. Ken Cooper. To be clear, he stated that exercise alone will not improve lifespan, but it would improve the quality of life. Unfortunately, Jim Fixx gave Dr. Cooper a bad image by dying young. He was not following the Aerobics exercise plan, and his diet was terrible. It was an indication to Dr. Cooper to investigate diet, and he has done that.
I've been following the Aerobics plan since 1975. Sometimes formally, and sometimes informally like not counting calories and knowing how much to eat. Sometimes, I've gotten lazy and noticed a rapid decline in my health. I instituted a mandatory Aerobics plan at Vance Air Force Base in about 1983. It was unique, because commanders had to give duty time for exercise.
With the popularity of pedometers, the CDC program has been diluted by including exercise during the normal course of the day. Dr. Cooper never did this. All exercise was above the normal activities of the day. Pedometers will give activity minutes for 10 minutes of sustained activity. Some of them start at 1 minute. Using a pedometer to count these activity minutes counts minutes that weren't included in Dr. Cooper's research.
I don't disagree with the CDC's recommendations, but I do feel they lend themselves to inflation by the user. They have also inflated the benefits by calling a "brisk walk" as over 3 miles an hour. To me, "brisk" should be faster than average, and in my observation most healthy people walk between 3 and 3.5 mph. But I need proof, or it's my observation and no more.
Dr. Cooper's Aerobics Points System takes away all the guesswork. He first published it in 1968, republished it in 1982, and it is still in use today. It gives point values for many exercises based on intensity and duration. It is based on personal study of over 100,000 people. It's a simple system that does match well with the CDC recommendation if one eliminates exercise done as a routine part of the day. For good health, get 30 aerobics points a week. For optimum health, get 60 aerobics points a week. People who attain more do so for reasons other than fitness.
The key benefit with the Aerobics Point system is it assigns point values for many different types of exercise. There is no guesswork.
Using walking as an example, for a person to earn one aerobics point, they have to walk a mile between 3 and 4 mph without stopping. The point values go up as more miles are walked consecutively. My normal morning walk is now six miles which earns 11 aerobics points. Usually, I walk about 42 miles a week over and above my normal daily routine. My daily routine incorporates an average of four or five additional miles. Dr. Cooper would not have included these four or five miles in his research. The CDC would. Or at least that seems to be the result of people using pedometers.
In my opinion, all three of these systems (Pritikin, CDC and Dr. Cooper) lack significant safety constraints and effectiveness constraints, but two of them (CDC and Dr. Cooper) can be merged into a system that is safe and effective by using research done by Dr. Maffetone. In his best book, The Big Book of Endurance Training and Racing, Dr. Maffetone explains that aerobic training takes place in The Aerobic Training Zone. This is a heart beat rate of 180 minus a person's age to 10 beats below this. There are some adjustments, but they are minor. Below this range, there is minimal aerobic training, and just a few beats above this results in anaerobic training. A person who trains only in the anaerobic range like the Pritikin Longevity Center recommends can have poor aerobic health.
There are two safety valves with the Maffetone Method. The first is doing most or all exercise in The Aerobic Training Zone. The second is doing a Maximum Aerobic Function (MAF) test every three or four weeks. The athlete walks, jogs, or runs five miles while in The Aerobic Training Zone. Times are recorded each mile. If the times start getting slower, it's likely the athlete is over training. It can be due to too much exercise or other stresses in a person's life. Either way, it's time to cut back on the exercise. There are other tests for other forms of exercise.
I don't agree with Dr. Maffetone's dietary recommendations.
Summary
1. The Pritikin Exercise Plan recommends exercising at too high a heart rate for maximum aerobic training.
2. I think the CDC recommendations are too complicated to implement. A person has to look up MET's for different exercises and be accurate in their assessment of exercise intensity. They also have to accurately track their exercise time and intensity for the different times. The actual recommendation is 500 to 1000 MET minutes a week.
3. Dr. Cooper's Aerobics Points System tends to encourage a person to progress to the next exercise level without regard for the probability many will turn it into a competitive exercise plan.
4. Dr. Maffetone's concept of The Aerobic Training Zone installs important safeguards on all three plans.
My idea of the perfect plan that is easy to follow is to use The Aerobics Points System while staying in The Aerobic Training Zone. Only count dedicated exercise outside of the normal daily routine unless a person has an active job which would justify counting part of the daily routine. The optimum recommendation for health is 30 to 60 points a week.
Those who can't attain 30 to 60 points a week should do the best they can. There are some benefits even at lower exercise levels.
Note: I haven't stated any opinions about strength training as I don't know much about it.
I don't address marathons and beyond because the method of training can have a great effect on the outcome.
