"None of this is speculation. The anatomic and biochemical characteristic of the training effect have been documented in the laboratory many times.", Kenneth H. Cooper, M.D., M.P.H. President and Founder, The Cooper Aerobics Center

Here you can learn more about exercise. You can learn how to measure the effects of exercise. A walking program from Dr. Cooper's chart packs is presented. If you can reach the goal of 30 points a week over time, you will achieve good or excellent physical fitness. The feelings of 'no hope' with HD will be gone.

You will need a watch and a measured course. A GPS unit is great for measuring a course but a car's odometer or a map works. Maybe you can find a partner to help you at your next support meeting.

It is remarkable that the damage done by decades of chronic inactivity can be mostly undone in only 16 weeks with such little effort. Our bodies are truly a wonder. The time for improvement from other agents that treat HD may be related to the 16 weeks that it takes to get benefits from exercise. If you have the ability to walk or run miles of beach and to hike to mountain summits in all kinds weather you will know that life is not a destination, it is a fantastic journey.

The stages or categories of physical fitness are the reverse of the stages of HD. The stages of HD have a subjective measure. The catagories of physical fitness can be precisely measured to the delight of engineers.

The measure of physical fitness is the ability to use oxygen. This ability is known as a person's VO2 max. VO2 max means the maximum volume, measured in milliliters, of oxygen per kilogram of weight that a person can consume in a minute. It correlates very closely with how far a person can walk or run in 12 minutes. VO2 max ranges from over 50 for active childern, typically declines throughout life, and is zero for dead.

Here are the categories or stages of physical fitness for a person thirty something, according to Dr. Cooper:

Fitness Catagory	VO2 max	Miles In 12 Minutes
1. Very poor	less than 25	less than .95
2. Poor	25-30.1	.95-1.14
3. Fair	30.2-39.1	1.15-1.39
4. Good	39.2-48.0	1.4-1.64
5. Excellent	48.1+	1.65+

VETERAN COUCH POTATO
This is the eaisiest and for folks over 50 in fitness catagory 1. Check out your local library for Dr. Cooper's chart packs for other ages and fitness levels.

WALKING EXERCISE PROGRAM
WEEK	DISTANCE(miles)	TIME(min)	FREQ/WK	POINTS/WK
1	1.0	18:30	5	5
2	1.0	16:30	5	5
3	1.0	15:00	5	5
4	1.5	24:30	5	7.5
5	1.5	23:00	5	7.5
6	1.5	22:30	5	7.5
After completing the above starter program, continue with the Category I conditioning program.  CONDITIONING PROGRAM FITNESS CATEGORY I (Less than 0.80 mile on 12-minute test)
WEEK	DISTANCE (miles)	TIME (min)	FREQ/WK	POINTS/WK
7	2.0	32:00	5	10
8	2.0	31:00	5	10
9	2.5	38:30	5	12.5
10	2.0 and 2.5	28:45 37:30	2 3	15.5
11	2.0 and 2.5	28:30 37:00	3 2	17
12	2.5 and 3.0	36:00 44:30	3 2	21
13	2.0 and 3.0	28:00 43:15	2 3	26
14	2.5 and 3.0	35:00 43:00	3 2	27
15	3.0	43:00	5	30
16	4.0	57:00	4	32

-- Jerry

Source:From 'The New Aeorobics' by K. H. Cooper' 1970

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