ACSM recommended training recommendations for aerobic exercise:
- Intensity: 50-85% heart rate reserve (HRR) or 60-90% maximum heart rate.
- Duration & Frequency: At least 20 minutes of continuous or intermittent vigorous exercise performed 3x a week, or 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise performed 5x a week.
- Recommended aerobic training intensity: 120-168 beats per minute (HRR)
- Data recorded using Polar F4 model.
- Duration of exercise: 38 minutes 23 seconds
- Time in recommended training intensity: 3 minutes 28 seconds
- Average heart rate: 95 beats per minute
- Maximum heart rate: 123 beats per minute
- Total calories burned: 154 calories
- Calories/minute: 4 cal/min
- MET: 4 METs
- Surya namaskar A 5x
- Surya namaskar B 3x
- Padangusthasana-padahasthasana
- Trikonasana A and B
- Parsvakonasana A and B
- Prasarita Padottanasana A, B, C, D
- Parsvottanasana
- Uttitha hasta padangusthasana A, B, C
- Ardha baddha padmottanasana
- Utkatasana
- Virabadharasana A and B
- Paschimatanasana Prep, A, C
- Purvottanasana
- Baby backbend (urdhva dhanurasana prep) 3x, 10 breaths each, resting 5 breaths in between
- Paschimattanasana
- Yogamudrasana
- Padmasana
- Utpluthih
- Time in recommended training intensity is less than 10% of the total exercise duration. Thus the performance did not reach and did not maintain minimum intensity to be considered aerobic training.
- Total exercise time exceeded the minimum duration per session but intensity did not.
- The performance of asanas is a skill and movement economy can be a factor in the low heart rate record as the subject is a regular practitioner.
- The data might not be the same if the same program was performed by a novice practitioner.
- In the previous study, the training intensity in the heart rate monitor was not set because the investigator was only interested in the caloric expenditure of a led vs a mysore practice. (I believe I didn't realize that it has a mute mode and it kept on beeping because the hr wasn't reaching the target zones so I had to set it to a resting hr level.)
- Looking at target heart rate range, the performance of a basic ashtanga program does not seem to provide the minimum stimulus to elicit cardiorespiratory response. (target hr range, 50-85% HRR, was calculated based on age and resting hr of the subject).
- Interestingly, however, that looking at the METs, 4 METs is already considered moderate intensity (recommendation is 3.5-6 METs for moderate intensity). MET was derived based on the cal/min and subject's weight.
- Does this mean that ashtanga is an aerobic activity? Based on heart rate, no. But it is an activity which has an intensity high enough to provide health benefits.
