Index

If there is a secret to long, healthy life and virility...even if you did not choose the right parents, it is regular exercise: aerobic, graded, and integrated into one's life-style. 

But what is that concept?  Well, after getting medical clearance from your physician if you are over 50 or if you have long been a couch potatoe at any age, the important exercise is endurance-building rather than muscle-building: brisk walking, stair-climbing, bicycling, rowing, etc. For example, a 72 year old man, 6 ft. tall, 205 lbs, in fairly good condition and fairly active generally, does a 1 mile brisk walk at 4 miles per hour in fifteen minutes, with a two minute warmup and two mnute cool-down, during which time his pulse (monitored constantly by a Polar Pacer, very important) goes from 65/minute to 100 - 120, depending on the exercise, with a return below 90 within two minutes.  He then does 8 flights of stairs at 3 flights per minute.  He then rows (at maximum machine tension) 500 meters at 35 strokes per minute.  He does that two or three times per week.  It takes about 30-40 minutes...and it feels great.  

"Try it.  You'll like it".

GS

• Does a 4 mile/hour walk for 12 minutes with a pulse (beginning at 65) going only to 90-95/minute.  Has to raise the pace to 4.2 miles/hr for three minutes in order to get his pulse to 108. 
• Does 8 flights of stairs on the stair-master at 3 flights per minute, with an ending pulse of 110-115/minute. 
• Does 500 meters, at maximum drag, at 37-39 stokes/minute without effort. 

That's what aerobic/endurance exercise is all about: getting more miles per gallon.  Try it...you'll like it.

GS