INTRODUCTION IMPORTANT

PRECAUTIONS

ASSEMBLY

BEFORE

YOU BEGIN

ELLIPTICAL

OPERATION

CONDITIONING TROUBLESHOOTING LIMITED

GUIDELINES & MAINTENANCE WARRANTY

30

T I P S STRETCHING

STRETCH FIRST

Before using your product, it is best to take a few minutes to do a few gentle stretching exercises. Stretching prior to exercise will improve flexibility and reduce chances of exercise related injury. Ease into each of these stretches with a slow gentle motion. Do not stretch to the point of pain. Make sure not to bounce while doing

these stretches.

1. STANDING CALVE MUSCLE STRETCH

Stand near a wall with the toes of your left foot about 18" from the wall, and the right foot about 12" behind the other foot. Lean forward, pushing against the wall with your palms. Keep your heels flat and hold this position for a count of 15 seconds. Make sure that you do not bounce while stretching. Repeat on the other side.

2. STANDING QUADRICEP STRETCH

Using a wall to provide balance, grasp your right ankle with your right hand and hold your foot against the back of your thigh for 15 seconds. Repeat with your left ankle and hand.

3. SITTING HAMSTRING & LOWER BACK MUSCLE STRETCH

Sit on the floor with your legs together and straight out in front of you. Do not lock your knees. Extend your fingers towards your toes and hold for a count of 15 seconds. Make sure that you do not bounce while stretching. Sit upright again. Repeat one time.

 

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF Warm-up & Cool-down

 

T I P S

 

 

 

 

 

 

Warm-up

The first 2 to 5 minutes of a workout should be devoted to warming up. The warm-up will limber your muscles and prepare them for more strenuous exercise. Make sure that you warm-up on your product at a slow pace. The Warm-up should gradually bring your heart rate into your Target Heart Rate Zone.

Cool-down

Never stop exercising suddenly! A cool-down period of 3-5 minutes allows your heart to readjust to the decreased demand. Make sure that your cool-down period consists of a very slow pace to allow your heart rate to lower. After the cool-down, repeat the stretching exercises listed above to loosen and relax your muscles.

 

 

ACHIEVING YOUR FITNESS GOALS

 

T I P S

 

 

 

 

 

 

An important step in developing a long term fitness program is to determine your goals. Is your primary goal for exercising to lose weight? Improve muscle? Reduce stress? Prepare for the spring racing schedule? Knowing what your goals are will help you develop a more successful exercise program. Below are some common exercise goals:

Weight Loss - lower intensity, longer duration workouts

Improve Body Shape and Tone - interval workouts, alternate between hi and low intensities

Increased Energy Level - more frequent daily workouts

Improved Sports Performance - high intensity workouts

Improved Cardiovascular Endurance - moderate intensity, longer duration workouts

If possible try to define your personal goals in precise, measurable terms, and then put your goals in writing. The more specific you can be, the easier it will be to track your progress. If your goals are long term, divide them up into monthly and weekly segments. Longer term goals can lose some of the immediate motivation benefits. Short term goals are easier to achieve. Your console provides you with several readouts that can be used to record your progress. You can track Distance, Calories or Time.

KEEPING AN EXERCISE DIARY

To make your personal exercise log book, photocopy the weekly and monthly log sheets, which are located on the following pages, or you can print them off of your computer by going to:

www.horizonfitness.com/guides/weeklylog.pdf

www.horizonfitness.com/guides/monthlylog.pdf

As your fitness improves, you can look back and see how far you’ve come!

31

IMPORTANT PRECAUTIONS INTRODUCTION

ASSEMBLY

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

ELLIPTICAL OPERATION

LIMITED TROUBLESHOOTING CONDITIONING WARRANTY & MAINTENANCE GUIDELINES

H-series_E5_Rev.1.2.indd 30-31

6/16/08 2:40:32 PM

Page 16
Image 16
Horizon Fitness E5 manual P S Stretching, Achieving Your Fitness Goals, Keeping AN Exercise Diary