Conditioning Guidelines

The following guidelines will help you to plan your exercise program. Remember that proper nutrition and adequate rest are essential for successful results.

WARNING: Before beginning this or any exercise program, consult your physician. This is especial- ly important for Individuals over the age of 35 or Individuals with pre-existing health problems.

WHY EXERCISE?

Exercise has proven essential for good health and well-being. Participation in a weU-rounded exercise program helps to develop a stronger and more effi- cient heart, improved respiratory function, increas;_d stamina, better weight management, increased ability to handle stress, and greater self-esteem.

EXERCISEINTENSITY

Whether your goal is to bum fat or to strengthen your cardiovascular system, the key to achieving the desired resultsis to exercise with the proper intensity and for the appropriate duration. The proper intensity level can be.found by using your heart rate as a guide. For effective exercise, your heart rate should be main- rained at a level between 70% and 85% of your maxi- mum heart rate as you exercise. This is known as your training zone. You can find your training zone in the table below. Training zones are fisted according to age and physical condition.

		TRAINING ZONE (BEATS / MIN.)
AGE		UNCONDITIONED	CONDITIONED
20		138-167	133-162
25	-	136-166	132-160
30	"	135-164	130-158
35		134-162	129-156
40		132-161	127-155
45		131-159	125-153
50		129-156	124-150
55		127-155	122-149
60		126-153	121-147
65		125-151	119-145
70		123-150	118-144
75		122-147	117-142
80		120-146	115-140
85	•	118-144	114-139

Burning Fat

To bum fat effectively, you must exercise at a relative- ly low intensity level for a sustained period of time. During the first few minutes of exercise, your body uses easily accessible carbohydrate calories for ener- gy. Only after the first few minutes does your body begin to use stored fat calories for energy. If your goal is to bum fat, adjust the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate is near the lower end of your training zone. The FAT BURN 1 and FAT BURN 2 programs can also help you to reach your goal.

Aerobic Exercise

If your goal is to strengthen your cardiovascular sys- tem, your exercise must be =aerobic." Aerobic exercise is activity that requires large amounts of Oxygen for prolonged periods of time. This increases the demand on the heart to pump blood to the muscles, and on the lungs to oxygenate the blood. For aerobic exercise, adjust the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate is near the middle of your training zone. You may also want to use the AEROBIC 1 and AEROBIC 2 pro-

grams.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR HEART RATE

To measure your heart rate, stop exercising and place two fingers on your wdst as shown. Take a six-sec- ond heartbeat count, and mul- tiply the result by ten to find

your heart rate. (A six-second count is used because your heart rate drops quickly when you stop exercis- ing.) If your heart rate is too high, decrease the inten- sity of your exercise. If your heart rate is too low, increase the intensity of your exercise.

WORKOUT GUIDELINES

An proper workout must include the following phases:

A warm-up phase, lasting 5 to 10 minutes. Begin with slow, controlled stretches, and progress to more rhyth- mic stretches. (See page 13.) This will increase the body temperature, heart rate, and circulation in prepa- ration for strenuous exercise.