Conditioning Guidelines, Exercise Intensity

CONDITIONING GUIDELINES

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

kWARNING: Before beglnnlng thls or any exerclse program, consult your physlclan.

This Is especially Important for Indivlduals over the age of 35 or Indlvlduals wlth prHxlstlng health problems.

EXERCISE INTENSITY

To maximize the benefits of exercising, it is important to exercise with the proper intensity. The proper intensity level can be found by using your heart rate as a guide. For effective 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.

	UNCONDITIONED	CONDITIONED		UNCONDITIONED	CONDITIONED
	TRAINING ZONE	TRAINING ZONE		TRAINING ZONE	TRAINING ZONE
AGE	(BEATS/MIN)	(BEATS/MIN)	AGE	(BEATS/MIN)	(BEATS/MIN)
20	138-167	133-162	55	127-155	122-149
25	136-166	132-160	60	126-153	121-147
30	135-164	130-158	65	125-151	119-145
35	134-162	129-156	70	123-150	116-144
40	132-161	127-155	75	122-147	117-142
45	131-159	125-153	80	120-146	115..140
50	129-156	124-150	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 of regular exercise, your heart rate can be increased gradually until it is near the middle of your training zone as you exercise. You can measure your heart rate using the pulse mode of the console. Exercise for at least four minutes, and then measure your heart rate immediately. 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.

kWARNING: The pulse earclip is not a medical device. Various factors, including your movement during exercise, may affect the accuracy of heart rate readings. The earclip is Intend- ed only as an exercise aid in determining heart rate trends in general.

WORKOUT GUIDELINES

Each workout should consist of three basic pads: a warm-up, 20 to 30 minutes of training zone exercise, and a cool-down. 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. Then, increase the intensity of your exercise to raise your heart rate to your training zone for 20 to 30 minutes. Breathe regularly and deeply as you exercise--never

hold your breath. Finish each workout with 5 to 10 minutes of stretching to cool down. This will increase the flexibility of your muscles as well as help to decrease soreness and other post-exercise problems.

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

_12 week, ifdesired. The key to success is CONSISTENCY.