The Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Guide - Uniformed Services ...

Chapter 3CardiorespiratoryConditioningThe American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention recently formulated new guidelines for theAmerican public with respect to exercise. The new recommendations state that “Every USadult should accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity onmost, preferably all, days of the week”. They defined moderate intensity physical activityas “activity performed at an intensity of 3 to 6 METS, or the equivalent of brisk walking at3 to 4 m.p.h. for most healthy adults”. Whereas the previous recommendations for the USpopulation emphasized the importance of extended periods of strenuous exercise, thesenew guidelines state that short, intermittent bouts of moderate exercise are important andsufficient for health benefits. The overall goal of these organizations is to promotecardiorespiratory conditioning, an important aspect of overall fitness, health, and diseaseprevention. However, activity above and beyond the recommendations for the public isnecessary for SEALs and other highly competitive athletes. In this chapter we will discuss:" Basic concepts of cardiorespiratory conditioning." How to estimate your maximal aerobic capacity." Types of aerobic activities and basic workouts.Many of the definitions and terminology associated with cardiorespiratoryconditioning have been presented in Chapter 1. However, other terms are usedinterchangeably to reflect cardiorespiratory conditioning; these include cardiovascular,cardiopulmonary, and aerobic conditioning. The important point is that this form ofconditioning improves health and work capacity by enhancing the circulation and overallfunctioning of the heart and lungs.The Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Guide 31