The F.I.T. Formula |
UNDERSTANDING THE F.I.T. FORMULA
The workout portion of your exercise program consists of three major variables: Frequency, Intensity, and Time.
FREQUENCY: How Often You Exercise You should exercise three to five times a week
Increase the speed and/or incline on the treadmill to raise your heart rate to the level recommended by your doctor. The incline feature can be used to greatly increase the workload without increasing speed. The chart below indicates how much the effort changes with each percent of grade at popular speeds for a person weighing 155 pounds.
to improve your cardiovascular and muscle fitness. Improvements are minimal with less frequent exercise.
INTENSITY: How Hard You Exercise Intensity of exercise is reflected in your heart rate. Exercise must be sufficiently rigorous to strengthen your heart muscle and condition your cardiovascular system. Only your doctor can prescribe the target training heart range appropriate for your particular needs and physical condition.
• Start with exercise that stimulates you to |
breathe more deeply. |
METS
One MET is the amount of energy your body uses when you’re resting. If a physical activity has an equivalent of 6 METS, its energy demands are 6 times that of your resting state. The MET is a useful measurement, because it accounts for differences in body weight.
MPH | 2.0 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
Minutes | 30 | 24 | 20 | 17 | 15 |
per mile |
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| METS | METS | METS | METS | METS |
Grade % |
|
|
|
|
|
0 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.1 |
1 | 2.8 | 3.3 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.6 |
2 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 5.2 |
3 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 5.1 | 5.7 |
4 | 3.7 | 4.3 | 5.0 | 5.6 | 6.3 |
5 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 6.1 | 6.8 |
6 | 4.2 | 5.0 | 5.8 | 6.6 | 7.4 |
7 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 6.2 | 7.1 | 7.9 |
8 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 8.5 |
9 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 9.0 |
10 | 5.3 | 6.4 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 9.6 |
11 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 9.0 | 10.1 |
12 | 5.9 | 7.1 | 8.3 | 9.5 | 10.7 |
13 | 6.1 | 7.4 | 8.7 | 10.0 | 11.2 |
14 | 6.4 | 7.7 | 9.1 | 10.5 | 11.8 |
15 | 6.7 | 8.1 | 9.5 | 10.9 | 12.3 |
16 | 7.0 | 8.4 | 10.0 | 11.4 | 12.9 |
• Alternate periods of moderate and easy |
exercise to help your body adapt to new |
levels of exertion without unnecessary |
strain. |
• If you are just beginning an exercise |
program, you may be most comfortable |
use your treadmill regularly, higher speeds |
may be more comfortable and more |
effective. |
• Inability to maintain a smooth, rhythmic |
motion suggests that your speed and/or |
elevation may be too great. |
• If you feel out of breath before you have |
exercised 12 minutes, you are probably |
overdoing it. |
As your fitness level improves, you will need to increase your workload in order to reach your target heart rate. The first increase may be necessary after two to four weeks of regular exercise. Never exceed your target heart rate zone.
TIME: How Long You Exercise
Sustained exercise conditions your heart, lungs, and muscles. The longer you are able to sustain exercise within your target heart range, the greater the aerobic benefits.
•To begin, maintain two to three minutes of steady, rhythmic exercise, then check your heart rate.
•The initial goal for aerobic training is 12 continuous minutes.
•Increase your workout time approximately one or two minutes per week until you are able to maintain
USING THE F.I.T. FORMULA
The F.I.T. formula and chart are designed to help you begin a program tailored to your needs. You may wish to keep an exercise log to monitor your progress.
