Sears 831.285780 Conditioning Guidelines, Exercise Intensity, HOW to Measure Your Heart Rate

CONDITIONING GUIDELINES

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

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

EXERCISE INTENSITY

Whether your goal is to burn fat or strengthen your cardiovascular system, the key to achieving the desired results is to exercise with the proper intensity. The proper intensity level can be found by using your heart rate as a guide. For effective 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 according to age and physical condition.

			UNCONDITIONED		CONDITIONED
			TRAINING ZONE		TRAINING ZONE
			(BEATS/MIN)		(BEATS/MIN)
	AGE
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 burn fat, you must exercise at a low intensity level for a sustained period of time. During the first few

minutes of exercise, your body uses easily accessible carbohydrate calories for energy. Only after the first few minutes of exercise does your body begin to use stored fat calories for energy. If your goal is to burn fat, adjust the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate is near the low end of your training zone as you exercise. It may also be helpful to use workout program 3, 5, or 6 on the console (see pages 6, 7, and 8).

Aerobic Exercise

If your goal is to strengthen your cardiovascular system, your exercise must be Òaerobic.Ó 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. It may also be helpful to use workout program 1, 2, or 4 on the console (see pages 6, 7, and 8).

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR HEART RATE

To measure your heart rate, stop

exercising and place two fingers on your wrist as

shown. Take a six- second heartbeat count, and multiply the result by ten to find your heart rate. (A six-second

count is used because your heart rate drops quickly when you stop exercising.) If your heart rate is too high, decrease the intensity of your exercise. If your heart rate is too low, increase the intensity of your exercise.

WORKOUT GUIDELINES

Each workout should include three important parts:

(1)a warm-up, (2) training zone exercise, and (3) a cool-down.

Warming up

Warming up prepares the body for exercise by increasing 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.

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