Rawi Fitness
Endurance Training
“Enjoy yourself: if you enjoy what you do you'll be able to improve. Rest and listen to your body. Be safe and test your gear.” - Kilian Jornet, Mountain Endurance Athlete
Benefits
1. Improves cardiorespiratory fitness
Aerobic training is an effective way to increase cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in middle-aged and older adults, and in both healthy and unhealthy individuals. Cardiorespiratory fitness is your heart, lungs and circulation system's ability to deliver oxygen during exercise ¹. This ability also involves the working muscles ability extract and utilise oxygen to produce energy aerobically. A systematic review and meta-analysis of adults aged 18-65, found low-intensity endurance training (LIT) is an effective method also for increasing VO₂ max (maximum rate at which the body can take in oxygen through the lungs, transport it via the heart and circulatory system, and utilize it within the working muscles during maximal effort exercise). In addition attenuation of cardiometabolic risk factors were found².
2. Reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality
A systematic review and meta-analysis identified middle-aged to older adults with higher CRF compared to those low CRF adults had a substantially reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality risk ³.
3. Lowers blood pressure (hypertension) & improves Blood Pressure Variability (BPV)
A systematic review and meta-analysis on the affects of exercise on healthy adults found endurance training to lower both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)⁴. In adults with hypertension. Aerobic training reduces resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, with 150 min/week causing the largest reduction⁵, and improves BPV (blood pressure control), a predictor of cardiovascular events mortality⁶ .
4. Improves lipid profile & overall cardiovascular risk factors
In middle-aged to elderly adults who were obese or overweight and had high BP, aerobic exercise alone overall improved lipid profile (LDL, triglycerides, HDL), CRF, and haemodynamic (blood flow and circulation) markers, reducing overall cardiovascular risk⁷, ⁸.
5. Improves blood sugar control & insulin sensitivity
Aerobic training improve HbA1c (long-term blood sugar levels), and is an effective method to benefit those with type 2 diabetes⁹, with endurance training improving insulin sensitivity in healthy adults, lowering the risk of diabetes related to insulin insensitivity, resulting in a core intervention for type 2 diabetes¹⁰.
6. Supports weight loss
In obese or overweight adults endurance training is highly effective for reducing body fat (both subcutaneous and visceral) and waist circumference, especially when aerobic training is at least 150 mins per week¹¹.
Benefits
7. Reduces symptoms of depression, anxiety & stress
Aerobic exercise can have meaningful effects on depression and anxiety, particularly large benefits for treating depression symptoms, and moderate benefits for reducing symptom of anxiety¹².
8. Enhances memory function (especially in older adults)
A systematic review identified that aerobic training is a significant contributor for improved memory and is a low-risk strategy to support healthy brain ageing¹³.
9. Improves functional capacity, physical performance & quality of life
Endurance training increases aerobic capacity, walking endurance, daily activity tolerance and overall quality of life (QoL), including improved balance, diabetes, multiple sclerosis (MS), osteoarthritis, Parkinson's disease, and 3 forms of cancer¹⁴.
10. Lowers risk of multiple chronic diseases
Across populations, higher volumes of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic activity are associated with lower incidence of:
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Coronary heart disease and stroke
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Type 2 diabetes
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Some cancers (notably colon and breast)
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Dementia and cognitive decline¹⁵
11. Improves prognosis and survival in people with cancer (via CRF)
A systematic review with a meta-analysis showed that for people already diagnosed with cancer, better cardiorespiratory fitness (typically achieved through endurance training) is associated with better survival rates¹⁶.
Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before changing your exercise or health routine. See our Disclaimer page for more information.