The F.I.T. Concept Defined
CREATING AN EXERCISE PLAN
WHAT IS THE
F.I.T.
CONCEPT?
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 to improve your cardiovascular and muscle fitness. Improvements are significantly smaller 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.
Alternate days 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 using your bike at low workloads. As you use your bike regularly, higher workloads may be more comfortable and more effective.
If you feel out of breath before you have exercised 12 minutes, you are probably exercising too hard.
As your fitness level improves, you will need to increase your workout intensity in order to reach your target heart rate. The first increase may be necessary after two to four weeks of
CREATING AN EXERCISE PLAN
Z 7 B i k e O w n e r ’ s G u i d e
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