Last year the Ministry of Sound released an album which smashed expectations selling over 150,000 copies and became a must have fitness product. Now they have released Running Trax 2, 3 CD’s described as the ‘most upbeat and energetic tracks to spur you towards the peak of physical fitness.’ Click here for Track Listing.

The 3 CDs will certainly keep your heart racing during a rigorous fitness regime with tracks by Calvin Harris, Eric Prydz and Dizzee Rascal. However, I would have preferred there to be a change in tempo between the CD’s for different runs. It is described as specially selected tracks to guide you through any style of training you choose, whether it is a Sunday morning jog or a rigorous fitness regime but I found that most of the tracks, whilst probably would keep your heart pumping, are more suited to a spin cycling class or an intense session on the cross trainer. The tracks are not ones I would choose to run to, maybe for high intensity interval training, but I would have preferred more contrasting speeds for warming up, recovery jogs or Sunday long runs.

There is no doubt the 3 CD’s contain some of the most upbeat and energetic tracks you could choose to exercise to, I am just concerned that if you try to run at their pace you may injure yourself. Admittedly, The Nightcrawler’s Push The Feeling On is suitable for a Sunday morning jog, but I find The Unicorn Kid’s Wild Life is way too fast to run to, yet other tracks such as Example’s Kickstarts changes the rhythm so much during the track it is hard to run at a constant pace.

To justify the Running Trax title the CD’s also include a 12 page booklet giving advice on how to start training for your own race and tips to keep you feeling confident up to race day and beyond. Some tips are helpful such as how to avoid injuries and how to be motivated. But suggesting that on a race day you need deodorant and to carry spare £1 coins to make emergency phone calls kind of feels that were running out of useful advice, when a few more diagrams of how to stretch may have been more helpful.

Overall

A good value 3CD selection of energetic tracks to exercise to but if you plan on running to them you will need to invest some time in selecting suitable tracks for each style of training run.

Release Date 28th December 2010

Available to buy as a boxset from Amazon.co.uk, Sainsbury’s, Play.com and other retailers. Also available to download from Amazon or iTunes.

Running Trax 2 Track Listing

2008 US Open Final - Andy Murray and Roger Federer

Following the epic match between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut at the beginning of Wimbledon 2010, Andy Murray tweeted ‘This is why tennis is one of the toughest sports in the world, this will never ever be matched again’.

After watching some of the world’s elite footballers play so disappointingly during the World Cup, supposedly their sports most prestigious competition, Murray’s point is justified. Football is a team competition; players can be rested during matches, be substituted when injured and even miss matches by suspensions. Even the winning team will have only played 7 matches of 90mins (with possible extra time of 30minutes) over a period of 4 weeks.

In comparison Isner and Mahut’s single match took a record breaking 11 hours and five minutes, with the final fifth set alone taking eight-hours 11-minutes. In total 980 points including 215 aces were played over 183 games, the final score at  6–4, 3–6, 6–7(9–7), 7–6(7–3), 70–68. However, when you see slightly overweight, middle aged people inspired by Wimbledon fortnight, playing tennis on your local courts tennis doesn’t seem so demanding.

So why should tennis be considered a tough sport?

Whilst a knock about on the beach or the local park does not seem that strenuous, professional competitive tennis requires a combination of physiological and unpredictable variables. Each match depends on adapting to a number of factors:

• Match duration (3 or 5 sets)
• Weather
• Opponent
• Surface
• Level of play

But within each match or indeed between each point there are also a number of variables that need to be considered:

• The length of the point
• Playing style of both players
• Velocity of shot
• Shot selections

Tennis players need to train specifically for their sport and playing style. During high level matches points have an average length of between 3 seconds to around 15 seconds on some of the faster surfaces such as grass and indoor. However the total playing time is only between 20-30% of the total match time and varies considerably between when the player in control of a rally is an attacking player who hits the net hard then consistently comes to the net, a whole court player, or a baseline player.

Is Tennis an Aerobic or Anaerobic Sport?

Tennis requires short explosive bursts of energy repeated hundreds of times per match which as we have seen can be of a long duration. This requires players to be trained anaerobically for performance and aerobically to aid recovery during and after play.

Maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂ max) is used as a marker of aerobic capacity. Generally VO₂ max and heart rate increases as the game progresses, decreasing during rest periods and end changes. VO₂ max in competitive high level tennis players has been reported to be greater than 50ml/kg/min classifying tennis players as highly aerobically trained with aggressive attacking players having a lower VO₂ max than baseline players.

The mean heart rate in trained players aged 20–30 years has reported to be between the ranges of 140–160 beats/min during singles matches. The long duration and moderate mean heart rate during a match suggests that tennis an aerobic sport.

However the explosive nature of the serve and ground strokes, along with rapid changes of direction requires a tennis player to have a high anaerobic capacity. Together with the need for a high percentage of fast twitch muscles tennis could be considered more as a predominantly anaerobic activity, needing high levels of aerobic condition to avoid fatigue and aid recovery between points.

Strength, Speed and Agility

In addition to stamina tennis players need fast reaction times to respond to every shot from the opponent. They are required to move not only forwards and backwards but also sideway and diagonally, so need to be agile, able to accelerate and move at a maximum speed.

Strength training is also important not only in muscles and joints for performance but also to reduce injuries. As well as the expected required strength in the shoulder and upper arm, tennis players require a firm wrist to direct the racket head under high speeds. Players also require a deal of flexibility, not only through reaching for or playing a racket shot but also when throwing the ball when serving.

There is no doubt that training as a competitive tennis player is demanding. You need to be both anaerobic and aerobically fit, have stamina, strength, speed, flexibility and agility, as well as being mentally aware to respond to your opponent’s shots. There are however other professional sports which could arguably also be considered some of the toughest in the world.

Triathletes competing at Ironman distances for example, may argue that a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon (26 miles 385 yards, 42.195 km) run, raced in that order and without a break, is also quite tough.  As might the cyclists competing in the Tour de France covering around 3,600 kilometres (2,200 mi) through 21 stages over 3 weeks.  But considering it took Rafael Nadal 17 and half playing hours, over the course of two week tournament to win 2010 Wimbledon championship I will concede to Andy Murray that professional competitive ‘tennis is one of the toughest sports in the world.’

I admit that although I am physically fit to keep up with the routines and I know the names of a few yoga positions I am not an aerobics expert. Having said that, I think that this DVD is definitely aimed at the high intermediate or experienced aerobic class participant.

Whilst it gave me a good cardio work and I certainly felt the effects the next morning, I did find it confusing at times due to the speed in which Emily speaks and the number of different moves included in each repetition. I doubt I will ever learn the fast, ever changing routine, even if after 10 sessions. A criticism I do have with the DVD however, has to be the screen shots which sometimes just show Emily’s upper body when I would rather be watching what her legs are doing during new complicated leg combinations

Kelsey is there to provide the beginners modification. Although, instead of just showing how to do the workout without free weights or not including the optional jumps, I wish she put in more effort or enthusiasm into her movements as she should be motivating you to do the same.

With the total DVD only lasting 30 minutes it is not something you will be returning to everyday if you want variety, but if you are a hardcore aerobics fiend and one day you miss your regular class this could be a perfect substitute.  There is no chance to rest during the half hour routine and when wearing a heart rate monitor my average heart rate was around 72% of my maximum, reaching as high as 172 beats per minute. So clearly within the zone considered as an aerobic exercise. My heart rate throughout the workout can be seen here.

Overall

An intensive body firming and cardio routine that works the entire body. Fast paced, probably most suitable for more experienced exercisers. At only 30 minutes this DVD lacks variety to be repeated everyday but excellent as a one off workout or part of a varied exercise regime.

Released Date: April 2010

Running Time: 32 minutes

Available from Sainsbury’s, LoveFilm.com, Play.com, Amazon.co.uk and other retailers.

Also read our reviews of other recent fitness DVD releases:

5 Day Fit Weight Loss designed to add variety to your routine with 5 different fat burning workouts.

Trudie Styler’s Cardio Dance Flow designed to help improve balance, endurance and help tone your body.

However, exercise should not only be considered as a method to lose weight but also as an essential tool in remaining healthy through treating and preventing illness and diseases. This May’s Exercise is Medicine™ Month, is a time for everyone to recognize, emphasize and celebrate the valuable health benefits of exercise and to May-Kit Happen.

Exercise is Medicine is a program launched in 2007 by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Medical Association (AMA) and is designed to encourage American’s patients to incorporate physical activity and exercise into their daily routine. Whilst this program is being promoted primarily in the US it is a program which is applicable globally. According to the World Health Organization, one of the major challenges in the prevention of non-communicable diseases and in the promotion of physical activity and other healthy lifestyle choices is communicating the importance of action now in return for future benefits.

Exercise should not just be advised to the overweight but promoted to everyone for overall, life-long health. The U.S Physical Activity Guidelines suggest participating in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, whilst the Australian guidelines are to put together at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days. The UK current physical activity guideline for children is to achieve 60 minutes or more activity on 7 days a week. But with modern transport, technology and labour saving devices how many of us actually achieve these guidelines?

Aside from weight loss, exercise also provides the added benefits of:

• better circulation, preventing heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure;
• increases strength by helping to build and maintain bones, muscles and joints to reduce the risk of injury or osteoporosis;
• improves agility and flexibility;
• reduces the risk of diabetes and certain cancers;
• promotes psychological well being and can reduce the risk of alzheimer’s disease.

Don’t forget to check with your doctor first that you are healthy enough to start exercising, they may also be able to provide you with a suitable exercise plan or classes in your area. Exercise is Medicine aims not only to promote exercise to the public but also to encourage doctors to prescribe it to their patients. Network members, including Strenua’s World, have committed to supporting the guiding principles of Exercise is Medicine:

• Exercise and physical activity are important to health and the prevention and treatment of many chronic diseases.
• More should be done to address physical activity and exercise in health care settings.
• Encourage ACSM’s efforts to bring a greater focus on physical activity and exercise in health care settings.

If you are interested in learning how you can become more active in your life then sign up for the one-month Exercise is Medicine™ email series for the public. You will receive helpful tips on how to create a life-long exercise plan and stick to it, regardless of your age or current fitness level, easy-to-use resources and plenty of motivation to keep you moving.

Robert E. Sallis, MD, the chair of Exercise is Medicine, says ‘We all know exercise is not a magic bullet. It doesn’t guarantee you won’t get cancer or have high blood pressure. But research clearly shows exercise helps treat and prevent many chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, cancer and hypertension. Of all the measures that can be taken to prevent illness and disease, exercise is, by far, the most worthwhile. Whether you’re sick or healthy, young or old, fit or not, exercise makes you feel better almost immediately!  The trick is to sustain a fitness regime. Help is out there. Support is available. Whatever it takes, just get moving!’

This new research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), focused on young adults and revealed that those who are physically fit, have a higher IQ and are more likely to go to university.

The researched studied 1.2 million Swedish men born between 1950-1976, who were enlisted for military service at 18. Physical fitness and intelligence performance data was collected during conscription examinations and linked with other national databases for information on school achievement, socioeconomic status and sibship.

After adjusting for relevant confounders there was a positive association with intelligence with cardiovascular fitness as measured by ergometer cycling.

Good physical fitness provided the strongest association with logical thinking and also verbal comprehension. Only cardiovascular fitness was found to play a role in the results of the IQ test, in contrast strength was not linked with cognitive performance.

“Being fit means that you also have good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of oxygen,” says Michael Nilsson, professor at the Sahlgrenska Academy and chief physician at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. “This may be one of the reasons why we can see a clear link with fitness, but not with muscular strength.”

Relationships between cardiovascular fitness and intelligence at age 18 were also evaluated and compared between twins and other siblings

Analysis between siblings suggested less than 15% was due to heritable factors and >80% of the cardiovascular intelligence association was due to environmental factors rather than genes to explain the link between fitness and a higher IQ.

The study also showed that cardiovascular fitness changes between ages 15-18 predict cognitive performance at 18. The researchers suggest that physical education is a subject that has an important place in schools and is an absolute must if we want to do well in maths and other theoretical subjects. This is interesting as certainly in my experience, I got to opt out of school physical exercise at age 15 by choosing to go 10 pin bowling or ice skating. I certainly did do anything that would improve my cardiovascular fitness at school.

Cardiovascular fitness at age 18 was also found to predict educational achievements later in life. The researchers compared the socioeconomic status of the men later in life and found that those who were fit at 18 were more likely to go into higher education and secured more qualified jobs.

Author Maria A. I. Åberg concluded that physical exercise could be an important instrument for public health initiatives to optimize educational achievements, cognitive performance, as well as disease prevention at the society level.