Did you know …

May 2, 2010

Contributed by Donna Marie

 

… Aerobics and Cardio are DEAD?

 

I’ve done some form of movement for most of my life.  I’ve had to as I was one of those chubby, “big boned”  kids.  While there’s something to the “big-boned” theory,  this reason only goes so far when it comes to being healthy & fit.  In my teens I did modern dance (the option available to me after ballet teachers snuffed out my prima ballerina desires saying I was too big for ballet); in my 20s and 30s I joined gym after gym, spending a small fortune but my commitment waxed and waned.  In my 40s I took a more integrated view of this whole body image thing deciding that being healthy was the main purpose of any movement I would do.  That’s when I met Rob Morea and formed an alliance that transformed my body and how I think about my body image.  In the process, I replaced weight goals with a deeper level of commitment–a lifelong commitment to being healthy & fit.

I’ve always believed that aerobics & cardio were central to any fitness regimen.  But the highly provocative statement proferred by Dr. Al Sears: Cardio and Aerobics are DEAD–literally stopped me in my treadmill tracks.  As a curious 50-something looking to remain healthy & fit, I decided to dig deeper.  What I found was P.A.C.E., The 12-minute Fitness Revolution created by Al Sears, MD and I’ve been exploring the value of this program.  Like most “revolutions,” Sears is disputing many of the ways we’ve been taught to think about health & fitness.  From what I’ve read so far, it makes sense.  For example, since our bodies are highly adaptive machines, doing the same exercise day after day with all the commitment in the world might lead to diminishing returns.  As Dr. Sears puts it:

 
PACE shows you how to replace flawed and ineffective theories that were mistakenly accepted without proof with what really works.  In a matter of weeks, you’ll: 
  • Build strength and reserve capacity in your heart and lungs.
  • Avoid heart attacks and cardiovascular disease.
  • Develop a powerful and disease-resistant immune system.
  • Dramatically boost your energy levels.
  • Burn fat while you rest like never before.

 The key to PACE’s amazing effectiveness is already designed in your metabolism in something I call your “adaptive response.” PACE allows your body to make adaptive responses that sculpt your body and strengthen your internal organs. PACE activates these changes, like flipping a switch.

 

I’ve decided to do my own research on this new (to me) approach.  For more on the P.A.C.E. philosophy, check out Al Sears’ website  and tell us what you think about this.