DDPY Cardiovascular Fitness

[C.R.MacDonald]

Greetings!

So I have purchased a Polar H10 Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor (chest strap) for my yoga sessions. I like to mix it up with different styles of yoga, and find each to be very beneficial in many ways.

I have been doing DDP Yoga (a mix of yoga, dynamic resistance, calisthenics, sports therapy) which recommends practicing with a heart rate monitor. Here are the main analytics from my latest session:

Duration: 01:05:42
HR Max: 172 bpm
HR Average: 139 bpm
Calories burned: 749 calories

I'm curious if these results satisfy the targeted aerobic recommendations in a given cardio session in comparison to traditional aerobic workouts. I am impressed I can achieve such numbers and be so winded from such a low impact practice of basically standing still and moving slowly through challenging isometric poses. I am sweating, exhausted, and breathing heavily by the end of the workout, so I imagine there must be some validity to the cardiovascular benefits paired to this practice. Perhaps there are fitness experts here that could weigh in on this.

Regardless, I am pleased with these numbers and look forward to practicing more with the heart rate monitor to chart my progress. I definitely recommend the Polar H10 Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor (thanks to Jeff Novick for the recommendation!).

[JeffN]

If you haven’t already, \check out the thread on exercise and especially the posts on how much is enough and the ones on the value of even low intensity exercise
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=43482

There is a thread linked in there on the Rating of Perceived Exertion, which, if you haven’t read, is here. It will help you understand the issue of intensity
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=9507

In Health
Jeff

[C.R.MacDonald]

Thank you for the wealth of valuable information, Jeff.

Y'know, the pursuit of health is fascinating. I've always been deterred by bodybuilding, extreme workouts like Crossfit, and even marathons because I figured the unnecessary stress on the body/ joints was detrimental. I've known people who are exercise fanatics who are now crippled with joint pain and a myriad of other health issues. But the fear of scaling back on the intensity and duration of their workouts seem counterintuitive (psychologically) to them. The research showing increased calcified plaque from over-training in marathon runners compared to sedentary individuals is certainly alarming, and yet there are so many extreme workout programs available are marketed as superior fitness regimens.

Trying to make sense of the research, I have tried to find that sweet spot of what optimal fitness is -- not too vigorous, yet enough to satisfy the fitness requirements determined by reputable health authorities. I happen to enjoy many types of yoga (especially for the flexibility, balance, and strength benefits of it -- all achieved in a low impact practice), but would read studies concluding that yoga is not exertive enough to qualify as cardio. Yoga intensity can largely be influenced by the practitioner (you can make your workout easier or more challenging by the amount of modifying or muscle engagement you do), and I would notice myself achieving quite a cardiovascular workout from my practices. So I was puzzled and a bit despondent by the conclusion.

The takeaway I am learning here (and correct me of I am wrong) is that (a) the proposed desirable "heart rate zone" equation is more of an arbitrary assessment for a health goal; (b) because of this, I'm probably working too hard achieving these numbers during yoga, despite falling into the subjective heart rate "green zone"; and (c) walking briskly enough to elevate your heart rate while passing the "talk test" 150 minutes per week appears to satisfy the recommended cardiovascular requirements for good health (while minimizing risk of injury).

I still love yoga, but perhaps I'll ease up on the intensity of my yoga sessions and go for more walks around the neighbourhood.