Conditioning Guidelines, Exercise Intensity

CONDITIONING GUIDELINES

The following guidelines will help you to plan your ex- ercise 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 especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or Individuals with pre-existing health problems.

EXERCISE INTENSITY

To maximize the benefits of exercising, it is important to exercise with the proper intensity. The proper inten- sity level can be found by using your heart rate as a guide. Foreffective aerobic exercise, your heart rate should be maintained at a level between 70% and 85% of your maximum 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 listed for both unconditioned and conditioned persons according to age.

	UNCONDITIONED	CONDITIONED
	TRAINING ZONE	TRAINING ZONE
AGE	(BEATS/MIN)	(BEATS/MIN)
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

During the first few months of your exercise program, keep your heart rate near the low end of your training zone as you exercise. After a few months, your heart rate can be increased gradually until it is near the mid- dle of your training zone as you exercise.

To measure your heart rate, stop exercising and place two fingers on your wrist as shown below.

Take a six-second heartbeat count, and multiply the result by 10 to find your heart rate. For example, if your six-second heartbeat count is 14, your heart rate is 140 beats per minute. (A six-second count is used because your heart rate will drop rapidly when you stop exercising.) Adjust the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate is at the proper level.

WORKOUT GUIDELINES

Each workout should consist of three basic parts: a

warm-up, 20 to 30 minutes of training zone exercise, and a cool-down.

Warming up prepares the body for exercise by in- creasing circulation, delivering more oxygen to the muscles and raising the body temperature. Begin each workout with 5 to 10 minutes of stretching and light exercise to warm up.

Next, increase the intensity of your exercise to raise your heart rate to your training zone for 20 to 30 min- utes. Breathe regularly and deeply as you exercise-- never hold your breath.

Finish each workout with 5 to 10 minutes of stretching to cool down. Stretching after exercise is very effec- tive for increasing flexibility.

To maintain or improve your condition, complete three workouts each week, with at least one day of rest be- tween workouts. After a few months of regular exer- cise, you may complete up to five workouts each week, if desired.

The key to success is to make exercise an enjoyable part of your everyday life.