When to Exercise
The hour just before the evening meal is a popular time for exercise. The late afternoon workout provides a welcome change of pace at the end of the work day and helps dissolve the day's worries and tensions.
Another popular time to work out is early morning, before the work day begins. Advocates of the early start say it makes them more alert and energetic on the job.
Among the factors you should consider in developing your workout schedule are personal preference, job and family responsibilities, availability of exercise facilities and weather. It's important to schedule your workouts for a time when there is little chance that you will have to cancel or interrupt them because of other demands on your time.
You should not exercise strenuously during extremely hot, humid weather or within two hours after eating. Heat and/or digestion both make heavy demands on the circulatory system, and in combination with exercise can be an
Measuring Your Heart Rate
When checking Heart Rate during a workout, take your pulse within five seconds after interrupting exercise because it starts to go down once you stop moving. Count pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six to
get the
Target Heart Rate
Aerobic intensity guidelines for healthy adults are generally set at 40 to 85 percent of heart rate. But, if you’re out of shape, remember that moderate to low level and consistent cardiovascular training – well below the standard recommendations set forth – can result in substantial and beneficial effects to your health and can greatly improve cardiovascular endurance.
You can use the following calculation to determine what percentage of your heart rate you are working at:
% heart rate = (220 - age) x %.
Using this calculation, a 70% heart rate for a 40 year old would be (220 - 40) x 70% or 126. Thus, this individual would need to reach 126 beats per minute to equal a 70% heart rate.
The above are guidelines, people with any medical limitations should discuss this formula with their physician.
Clothing
All exercise clothing should be
Never wear rubberized or plastic clothing, such garments interfere with the evaporation of perspira- tion and can cause body temperature to rise to dangerous levels.
We recommend wearing comfortable athletic shoes made of good support with
Tips to Keep You Going
1)Adopt a specific plan and write it down.
2)Keep setting realistic goals as you go along, and remind yourself of them often.
3)Keep a log to record your progress and make sure to keep it
4)Include weight and/or percent body fat measures in your log. Extra pounds can easily creep back.
5)Enlist the support and company of your family and friends.
6)Update others on your successes.
7)Avoid injuries by pacing yourself and including a warm up and cool down period as part of every workout.
8)Reward yourself periodically for a job well done!