Schwinn 20, 10 BeatingThe Dropout Odds Jump StartYour Fitness Program, Predicted Target Heart

Varied training in all three of these zones will add to increased levels of fitness and improved performance and add more energy to your life. "Most training programs use a combination of training intensities to increase performance capacity," according to J. T. Kearney, Ph.D., Senior Exercise Physiologist at the U. S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Kearney suggests that it is important for individuals to monitor intensity. "There are many different ways to monitor training but monitoring heart rate response is the simplest, most convenient and least expensive physiological method for monitoring training," Keamey says.

!	Predicted Target	Heart	Rate Zones for Different	Ages
Age	Maximum	Predicted	Aerobic Target
	Heart Rate		Zone: 60-85 %
20	200		120-170
25	195		117-166
30	190		114-162
35	185		111-157
40	180		108-153
45	175		105-149
50	170		102-145
55	166		99-140
60	160		96-136

After several weeks of "aerobic conditioning," certain changes become apparent. What was a barely attainable level of exercise before, now becomes quite easy. Whereas cycling or running at a certain pace or speed may have previously caused your heart rate to go up to 135 beats per minute, that pace can now be achieved at a lower heart rate. In short, your heart is becoming stronger, larger and more efficient, and your body is able to do the same work with less strain.

Regardless of your maximum average heart rate or your target heart rate, you should consult with your physician or with a sports medical expert to establish, with precision, the rates that are right for you, your age and your medical and physical condition. This is especially important if you are over the age of 35, been sedentary for several years, overweight or have a history of heart disease in your family.

!BeatingThe Dropout Odds: Jump StartYour Fitness Program

You already know you need to exercise. And you're probably trying - at least a little. But let'sget

serious: If you don't add regular exercise to your life, you're missing out on a sure bet. This is one area where medical research all points in the same direction.

"Starting to exercise is comparable, from a health benefit standpoint, to quitting smoking," says the recently released Surgeon's General Report on Physical Activity and Health.

!Summary of Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health:

,,Regular physical activity offers substantial improvements in health and well-being for the maiority of Americans.

,,If you exercise regularly, the reports show, you'll reduce your risk of heart attack, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and even the common cold.

•Regular exercise, regardless of the intensity, can help you control stress, sleep problems, and depression.

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