Cardio or Weight loss?

Often the unknown creates fear around what we should be doing. Engaging in physical activity can be daunting and even feared by some. If starting out at a gym, combining these fears, as well as the thought of simply being there amongst the ‘others’ (those that are ripped and chiseled) can add to the anxiety and create a facility phobia of sorts.

Overcoming these hurdles in new environments can be the difference between success and failure, not only at the gym but in anything that we do. If we have some reliable backstops in place, it is possible for us to overcome the fears and anxieties associated with starting out. One of the easiest things to remain mindful of is your level of perceived exertion.  

Previous discussions on how to gauge exercise intensity have informed us on how to measure how hard we are working out, with the use of the talk test. Though another approach that we can use that acknowledges how hard you are exercising, is via perceived effort. That is our own perception of how hard we are working. Typically, on paper, this is represented as a number scale.

There are two different, though similar scales available for reference. One being the Borg Scale of perceived effort, which categorizes exertion through a scale of 1-20, the other is the OMNI Scale, which categorizes effort through a scale of 1-10. The OMNI scale can be used for both resistance training and aerobic/cardio workouts.

Both are reliable measures for perceived effort. For simplicity of this article, I will refer to the OMNI Scale, being a scale of 1-10 in perceived exertion. 

OMNI Scale walk/run Rates of Perceived Exertion:

OMNI Scale

Breaking this down, we see the lower end of the scale is easy. Hitting a 5 can be somewhat hard and 10 is the hardest that you can go. When working out at a level of 10, you will have to stop pretty soon as this has you going all out as if a bear were chasing you!

Working out at the different levels within this perceived effort scale will deliver different benefits physiologically. As health increases and your level of physical activity increases, you will develop the strength and endurance to touch upon the higher levels of the scale for longer. Throughout all of the levels of perceived exertion, one thing remains the same - Cardiovascular system involvement.

Cardiovascular Health

In order to maintain good cardiovascular health, it is recommended that we perform 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity each week, with a preference for daily activity. It is also recommended that we perform 2 days per week of strengthening exercises also. My translation for the moderate to vigorous activity using the above OMNI scale would be effort greater than a 4 for moderate and up to an 8 level of exertion for vigorous.

The beauty of using perceived effort systems is that your perceived effort, really is what you are experiencing. So no matter how slow you think you are going, your cardiovascular system is telling you how hard you are working via your perceived effort. Over time, this will change. The pace at which you can walk, will increase as you become healthier and as your aerobic system improves, the further you will be able to go and the more challenging activities you will find yourself engaging in.

The beauty here is that over time, your endurance and speed will increase as your

cardiovascular capacity improves.

An important point to remember is that if you only have the capacity to do activity that does not get you into the 4 zone, no problem, that is where you start. Everyone’s starting point will be different and determined by injuries, medical history, overall strength and cardiovascular capacity. The takeaway here is that you are moving and will be getting the benefits of having your cardiovascular system and skeletal system beginning to make healthier changes. You are on your way influencing your biological age. This is much better than simply living a sedentary life, which has you on a path becoming older than your years.

It has been said, that if we are not moving towards improving,

then we are choosing to decline. 

Overall, the goal is to maintain cardiovascular health - reduce arterial plaque buildup, maintain blood vessel elasticity and promote good circulation. Whilst doing that via physical activity, we can maintain metabolism, bone mineral density, minimize muscle loss, regulate digestion, improve our sleep and influence hormonal homeostasis, effectively becoming a biologically younger human in the process. 

Using a perceived effort scale, or a talk test to monitor levels of exertion is all you really need to get going, remembering that we are working on cardiovascular health. You don’t need the latest watch to capture data or steps and you don’t need a gym membership. Perceived effort is the cheapest way to becoming a healthier human!

At this point, it is worth noting that exercising for weight loss is a different kettle of fish and requires a more holistic approach incorporating diet and physical activity program variations.

If you are working out with cardiovascular fitness in mind, it is the changes that are happening internally that are vital. Sure weight loss can be a secondary benefit to the process, but the goal is different. For example;

Statement 1. I have high blood pressure, pre-diabetes or I have had a recent medical event, such as a stroke. 

Statement 2. I need to lose 20kg. These are totally different scenarios that require different approaches.

Our goal is that you find health, not a fitness fad, a timeline or a measurement. Health is something we participate in daily - the choices that we make. When we make better choices more often, we are moving towards health. That is the aim of the game. Once you have established a safe level of cardiovascular health and strength, you are well on your way to longevity and greatly reducing your chances of compounding health problems.