Ironman Fitness Quest Exercise Practice Procedures, Workout Brisk and Rhythmic Exercise

Workout Information

Exercise Practice Procedures

Warm-Up Workout Cool Down

A good warm-up will help you perform better and will decrease the aches and pains. The warm- up prepares your muscles for exercise and allows your oxygen supply to ready itself for what is to come. Experience tells us that muscles perform best when they are warmer than normal body temperature. This normally takes about 5-10 minutes when you begin to perspire on your brow and breathe more deeply.

Note: The older you are, the longer your warm-up period should be.

Workout: Brisk and Rhythmic Exercise

A workout trains your heart, lungs, and muscles to be more efficient. Increase exercise in response to your heart rate to train and strengthen your cardiovascular system. Concentrate on moving your arms and legs smoothly. Walking naturally and avoid jerking motions like pulled muscles, sprained joints, and loss of balance.

If you cannot sustain 12 continuous minutes in your target heart rate zone, then, exercise sev- eral times a day to get into habit. Try to reach and maintain 60-65% of your maximum heart rate. Alternate exercise with periods of rest until you can sustain 12 continuous minutes of exercise at 60-65% of your maximum heart rate. Best start with a target of 3-4 minutes, then, increase it gradually.

If you can sustain 12 but not 20 continuous minutes of exercise in your target heart rate zone:

•Exercise 3-5 days a week. Rest at least two days per week.

•Try to reach and maintain 65-70% of your maximum heart rate with moderate rhythmic exercises.

•Begin with 12 continuous minutes. Increase your time by one to two minutes per week until you can sustain 20 continuous minutes.

If you can sustain 20 minutes continuously in your target heart rate zone, begin to increase the length and intensity of your workout.

•Exercise 4-6 days a week or on alternate days.

•Try to reach and maintain 70~85% of your maximum heart rate with moderate to some- what hard exercise.

•Exercise 20-30 minutes.

WARNING: These strategies are intended for average healthy adults. If you have pain or tight- ness in your chest, an irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath or you feel faint or have any dis- comfort when you exercise STOP. Consult your physician before continuing. Remember every workout should begin with warm-up and finished with cool-down.

Cool down: Slow and Relaxed Exercise

The cool-down allows your body’s cardiovascular system to gradually return to normal and should be roughly 5-10 minutes. Lower your exercise intensity gradually, and when your heart rate has returned below 110 beats per minutes, you can end your workout.

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