How Long Should I Exercise?

neck, over the temple, or on the thumb side of either wrist. Wherever you measure your pulse, make sure that you use your index and middle fingers— not your thumb. Your thumb has a strong pulse which can affect your heart rate reading.

Once you locate your pulse, look at a clock with a second hand, and count the beats for six seconds. Multiply that number by 10 to determine the total number of beats per minute. For example, if you count 14 beats over six seconds, the total number of beats per minute is 140. Compare the total number of beats with your training zone as identified in Diagram 6. If necessary, increase or decrease your activity to bring your heart rate into your training zone. You can regulate how hard you (and your heart) work by choosing different effort levels. Remember—your heart rate is the definitive measure of how hard you are working.

Regardless of your fitness level, avoid doing too much too soon. Selecting too hard a course or too high an effort level are common errors. Give yourself time to become familiar with your cycle and to improve your fitness level. Then you can gradually increase the effort level or course difficulty to make your workouts more challenging.

The length of each exercise session depends on your fitness level. Exercise physiologists have determined that, to attain cardiovascular benefits from exercise, you should maintain your heart rate in its training zone for at least 15 minutes. This is in addition to your warm-up time, and does not include cool down. You should always allow several minutes to bring your heart rate into your training zone, by starting out slowly and gradually increasing work level. Similarly, use several minutes of light exercise after the workout to bring your heart rate down to near resting level.

The higher your fitness level, the longer you should maintain your heart rate in the training zone (between 20 and 30 minutes). Beginners should always start slowly, and gradually increase their sessions to 20 minutes or more.

How Often Should I Exercise?

Research indicates that aerobic sessions of 20 minutes or more should be done at least three to five times a week to obtain significant cardiovascular benefits. Most experts agree that sensible eating habits and regular aerobic exercise are the keys to weight control and fitness. A recent study, which tracked several subjects over a period of years, conclusively showed that exercise, not dieting, is the key factor to long-term weight loss.

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