But as so often happens with new discoveries, heavy commercial promotion set in and the aerobic conditioning processes he developed have not always been wisely used. Sometimes, we have been misled into confusing aerobic capacity, which almost exclusively emphasizes the operation of the cardiovascular system, with the much broader concept of total fitness. I believe it is the ability to carry out our daily activities, including sports and other physically demanding tasks, in an enjoyable, easy, and efficient way. It should include the ability to cope with unanticipated crises calmly and effectively and the ability to get a good night's sleep so that we can awake refreshed and alert the next morning. Our bodies, after all, are a lot more than heart, lungs and blood vessels.
Aerobic capacity is just one of many important indicators of good health.
The ability to pass an aerobics test doesn't in any way guarantee that you can go through life without pain, discomfort and fatigue. A large part of the problem is that exercise is frequently carried out in a manner which fails to take account of the way we, as individuals, actually use our bodies. In fact, some programs encourage an unconscious exaggeration of our worst habits of movement. You can see this for yourself the next time you watch a group of joggers or an aerobics class. Chances are many of the people you see will look awkward and uncomfortable, with excess tension and strain showing in their faces and in their bodies.