Exb116

Charles Wilkerson

EXB 148

11/28/05

Principles for Cardiorespiratory Endurance Programming

Cardiorespiratory endurance is defined as the ability to perform large muscle, dynamic, moderate- to high- intensity exercise for prolonged periods of time. This coupled with muscle strength, endurance and flexibility are the key components to physical fitness. Physical activity is defined as any bodily movement by skeletal muscle that results in energy expenditure. Exercise training is the process of using planned, structured, repetitive bodily movements to improve or maintain one or more components of physical fitness. Exercise prescription for training determines the type of training, the duration of training, and the intensity of training that is needed to obtain a certain level of physical fitness. To assign the proper prescription a full assessment and interpretation must be performed on the participant.

The mode or type of exercise needed, the frequency and duration of exercise, and the intensity should all be determined based on the participant's cardiorespiratory abilities. When designing prescriptions the caloric cost should be taken into consideration. This ensures that the person is able to complete the exercise programs efficiently in order to obtain the optimum benefits of exercise. Exercise programs should progress at a steady rate over a period of several months. This is because as exercise programs are being performed the body tends to adapt to the physical demands which causes fitness levels to plateau. In order to prevent this and continue to keep fitness levels climbing, exercise programs should be done in stages of increasing mode, frequency and intensity.