 physical fitness. What is it? Why are Americans so obsessed with it? Our images, dreams, self-conceptions, how are they all linked together to cause this phenomenon of physical fitness? I'm Glenn Swengross of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In this series we're going to be examining exercise from several points of view. We'll also be looking at a variety of programs which require the least preparation and the least time for the average individual. But we're also going to explore and discuss comprehensive programs that require equipment, facilities, and in some cases a deep personal commitment. But before we explore these programs, let's talk about exercise itself. These days the most everyone has an opinion about fitness and it's these opinions that determine whether a person will exercise at all. Well the reason I don't exercise is that it makes me too tired. I work 10, 11 hours a day and I need my energy, whatever's left of it, to do the shopping, the chores, and to take care of the three-year-old. Does exercise make you tired? There's no doubt that there is an expenditure of energy and no matter what you do and those people who have sedentary jobs which requires a lot of standing behind a counter or sitting at a desk will expand energy and will become fatigued in the thought of going home after work and getting involved in some physical activity is not that attractive. With me is Dr. Gene Snodgrass, Chair of the Department of Human Kinetics and Leisure Studies at George Washington University. Gene, how do you react to that? I think that's one of the most common myths about exercise. One which often keeps people from exercising. That exercising makes you tired. When you're not in shape, exercise is fatiguing but when you are in shape you can actually do more. Muscles are in better condition and they're capable of doing more work. You have greater strength, you have greater endurance and you're less likely to be fatigued from normal activities. People tend to misinterpret emotional stress as fatigue. Stress begins with anxiety and that's a disturbance arising from some kind of imbalance inside us and we experience many such conditions every day. This anxiety of course leads to tension and as you know Glenn, when you're tense there are many chemical changes in the body. These changes are experienced by us as fatigue. It's a desire maybe to escape through sleep. Exercise can alleviate this anxiety and it helps to energize us and so the more active we are, the more energetic we can be in both work and play. People wonder why they need muscular strength and well you can liken that to the horsepower in a car. The more horsepower a car has the smoother it runs at lower speed. You're not concerned about the high speeds and the more muscle power an individual has the more they can function at their jobs and their work easily. So people who have good muscular strength, no matter what they do during the day, they do it at an easier level than people who are muscle atrophied and everything they do is utmost and the hardest maximum use of their muscles they can make and that's very fatiguing. In fact some years ago some doctors coined a phrase for a new disease they call hypo-kinetic disease and what it is really is if you don't exercise to the point that your muscles begin to weaken an atrophy and they usually say if you don't use a muscle 50% or more of its capacity it's going to weaken and lose its strength that you actually will become fatigued because everything you do is all-out effort. But the important thing is that's not an irreversible condition. There was a time that I really hardly exercised at all. I was at home with two small children and we had a very busy and active family life. I really didn't have time for myself but when I started back to work I found that I got tired and was it was a stressful situation having both office work and still the active family life. So that's when I found that running was the best exercise for me. One time I ran the morning before coming to work but I found later on that it was much better to exercise in the middle of the day because then I came back after lunch the stress had was gone and I was able to focus more clearly on and work more effectively. So for me running is just very very important. I think it's the best exercise for me. I don't have time to exercise. I mean it takes 20 minutes to suit up an hour to do whatever you're going to do then you got to take a shower. I just can't fit that into my schedule. How much time does exercise really take? It depends upon the level of fitness that you're seeking. At the entrance level you can work in exercise into your daily routine such as brushing your teeth. Yes many people instead of driving to work will nowadays walk, jog or even cycle into the workplace. This gives a very good routine for exercise. While at the workplace people now take the stairs rather than using elevators. At home people will drive to the grocery store or market and now park at a distance away from the entrance. How would you define cardiovascular fitness? To train somebody's cardiovascular system you're working to improve the ability of the heart to pump more blood to the working muscles. This will also decrease blood pressure. In the popular term now aerobic fitness? Cardiovascular fitness same thing. What are the components of a good cardiovascular program? There are four basic factors Glenn. The first one is the intensity of exercise. This means that one needs to exercise at between 60 and 85 percent of their maximum intensity. This is a vigorous exercise which is going to work up a good sweat. The second factor is the length of time one is able to maintain this exercise. This will be a time period of 20 to 40 minutes. The third factor is how often must one exercise? And certainly this should be accomplished every three to five days. As you get in better shape you exercise at a higher frequency of days. And the final factor is doing some activity that you can have fun doing. If you don't like to swim certainly swimming would not be a good exercise. Some people like to jog some people like to train with a structured program like aerobic dance. Other people like to go out on their own and play sports. What are the benefits of a cardiovascular program? Well certainly the first benefit everyone achieves is that they feel very good from exercise. They're more vigorous, they're lifestyle, their quality of life is better. Research now also indicates that your cardiovascular risk factors such as blood pressure are reduced, cholesterol levels are lowered from cardiovascular exercise. In addition Glenn recent studies have shown that people that are more active seem to have a lower incidence of heart disease. And certainly those that have already suffered a heart attack have a much greater chance of surviving it. Yeah, I started to exercise about a year ago. After the first day I was so tired I couldn't even walk up a flight of steps. And then by the end of the week I was so stiff I quit. Setting reasonable expectations for ourselves is critical in starting and maintaining a fitness program. When we look like Charles Atlas or Victoria Principal overnight, not likely. But there is a way to structure an exercise program so that it does not result in failure. When you've been out of shape for a long time it requires an even longer time to get back into shape. The first thing that I recommend is to see a physician to make sure that there's no condition which might prevent you from exercising. But the next important point is to start slowly. I've seen so many people who have jumped in and done too much too soon and pushed themselves right out of doing an exercise program. The rehabilitation process is slow and gradual. Physical rehabilitation of course is an individual process. I agree. Each person somewhat different. But the human body certainly does have a very reliable signal system that lets an exercise or no if they're being pressed too hard. Things like breathing heavily afterwards, shaking us, feeling nausea, the very apparent heart rate from the individual. Shortness of breath or pain in the muscles and joints. You know another element that I think is important too, Glenn, is the interval of rest. The fact that one should not necessarily in the beginning be exercising every single day. It doesn't mean that you've failed if you only do the minimum program of three times a week. And the current thinking is that you shouldn't be exercising more than five times a week unless you're going for the Olympics. So the point of all this is to begin in moderation, considering your age and level of fitness. Physical exam's a good idea, don't you think, Glenn, before beginning a new exercise program because factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, pregnancy even, can influence the type of program that you need. Reasonable programs can be set up for most adults. Individuals need to set realistic goals for themselves and they also need to learn to monitor their own progress. Before my pregnancy, I was very active swimming and running and walking and also lifted weights. I found out I was pregnant and I was very apprehensive at first about exercising. So I checked with the doctor and he said, no, fine, go ahead, exercise, you know, that'll help you release a lot of the tension and stress, you know, from work and school. So I got back in the water, I started swimming again. It was it was very relaxing. I, of course, I had to slow down, you know, my speed. I wasn't, you know, I was just getting in and just just moving in the water. And I think that my exercise has helped in my mobility. I, you know, I'm more at ease with myself now. I don't feel like I'm this awkward pregnant woman waddling down the street. And I think people are more at ease with me. They see me in the water, they see me exercising and they don't think, you know, I am, I'm just a fragile person that's gonna, you know, hurt myself. They just look at me as somebody else is in the water swimming and having a really good time. Regular exercise can be a reality for most people. It's a matter of priority, motivation, scheduling, and most importantly, discipline. And older adults have found that they can continue to improve their fitness through regular programs of appropriate exercise. We tried to clear up some of the myths that prevent people from exercising. And now the next step is yours. And we're going to ask you to take that step. You'll learn how to pace yourself, warm up and cool down. Until then, this is Glenn Schwengros for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. And remember, stay fit for life.