Conditioning Guidelines, Exercise Intensity

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 exer- cise 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 physi- cal condition.


		UNCONDITIONED	CONDITIONED
	AGE	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

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.

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.

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.

Training Zone Exercise

After warming up, increase the intensity of your exer- cise until your heart rate is in your training zone for 20 to 30 minutes.

Cooling Down

Finish each workout with 5 to 10 minutes of stretching. Stretching after exercise develops flexibility and helps prevent post-exercise problems. A proper cool-down should leave you feeling relaxed and comfortably tired.

EXERCISE FREQUENCY

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

12week, if desired.