The importance of measuring aerobic capacity among the population

Reduce the levels of sedentariness with physical activity thanks to the greater propensity of doctors to recommend physical exercise, because a good level of cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with a better overall health status of the population. These are some of the results presented by Dr. Jonathan Myers during the webinar held by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) entitled The importance of measuring aerobic capacity among the general population.

The webinar, presented by Technogym, showed how subjects with a high cardiorespiratory fitness value are less likely to fall ill and more likely to live longer. Ultimately, cardiorespiratory fitness should be considered a vital parameter, because it is a strong predictor of the general state of health and a prospective predictor of mortality.

Jonathan Myers is a researcher who has been working for 30 years on the effects of physical activity on health, specifically studying the clinical applications of exercise in patients with heart failure.  He directs the Exercise Research Laboratory at the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs Health Care System where he has worked since 1992. He graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara and continued his postgraduate studies at the San Diego State University and the University of Southern California. He is also Clinical Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.

Evaluating factors of the level of cardiorespiratory fitness

Research shows that the value of cardiorespiratory fitness varies from person to person and depends on several factors: genetics, lifestyle, and especially training, which determine health condition and fitness degree of an individual. Those who train little or have a sedentary lifestyle will inevitably have a low cardiovascular fitness value, whereas those who are active have a higher one. In a study published in The Lancet in 2016 that attracted the interest of the medical community, it was shown that inactivity posed a general health risk even higher than that resulting from other risk factors for general health, such as smoking and blood pressure.  Basically, according to Myers' research, being sedentary is more harmful to health than having high blood pressure or even smoking.

The lack of attention from the medical world

Despite this evidence, although sedentariness (and its low cardiorespiratory fitness) is a very important risk factor, it is among those receiving the least attention in the medical world. The result is that in developed countries the percentage of smokers is slowly decreasing while, on the contrary, sedentariness is increasing.

In this rather bleak scenario, however, there are opportunities. First, low cardiorespiratory fitness is almost always the result of a sedentary lifestyle; therefore it can be increased. Second, the most substantial benefits can be obtained by those who move from a low to a moderate level of cardiorespiratory fitness. For each MET increase (MET is a unit of measure of cardiorespiratory fitness), there is a reduction in the risk of incurring into cardiovascular disease ranging from 10 to 20%.

Move to reduce sedentariness with Let's Move for a Better World

Humans were born to move and aerobic movement is one of the most effective ways to combat sedentariness. The advancement of technology is an opportunity for the growth of the human being, but also a great risk for the lifestyle of the population around the world because of the sedentariness that this induces. The steady increase in recorded cases of obesity in developed countries causes more deaths from malnutrition and is becoming an increasingly serious socioeconomic problem.

Let’s Move for a Better World is the major social campaign by Technogym in the fitness and wellness world, which reflects Technogym's mission to promote movement and wellness on a global scale: members of gyms and fitness centers have joined forces to donate their movement and promote wellness and a healthy lifestyle in their local communities.