Weslo WLEX27181 Conditioning Guidelines, Exercise Intensity, HOW to Measure Your Heart Rate

CONDITIONING GUIDELINES

WARNING: Before beginning this or any exercise program, consult your physician. This is especially important for individuals over the age of 35 or individuals withpre- existing health problems.

The following guidelines will help you to plan your exercise program.

EXERCISE INTENSITY

To maximize the benefits of exercising, it is important to exercise with the proper intensity. The proper inten- sity level can be found by using your heart rate as a guide. For effective aerobic exercise, your heart rate should be maintained at a level between 70% and 85% of your maximum heart rate as you exercise. This is known as your training zone. You can find your training zone in the table below. Training zones are listed according to age and physical condition.

	TRAINING ZONE (BEATS/MIN.)
AGE
	UNCONDITIONED	CONDITIONED
20	138Ð167	133Ð162
25	136Ð166	132Ð160
30	135Ð164	130Ð158
35	134Ð162	129Ð156
40	132Ð161	127Ð155
45	131Ð159	125Ð153
50	129Ð156	124Ð150
55	127Ð155	122Ð149
60	126Ð153	121Ð147
65	125Ð151	119Ð145
70	123Ð150	118Ð144
75	122Ð147	117Ð142
80	120Ð146	115Ð140
85	118Ð144	114Ð139

During the first few months of your exercise program, keep your heart rate near the low end of your training zone as you exercise. After a few months of regular exercise, your heart rate can be increased gradually until it is near the middle of your training zone as you exercise.

Burning Fat

To burn fat effectively, you must exercise at a relative- ly low intensity level for a sustained period of time. During the first few minutes of exercise, your body uses easily accessible carbohydrate calories for ener- gy. Only after the first few minutes of exercise does your body begin to use stored fat calories for energy. If your goal is to burn fat, adjust the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate is near the low end of your training zone as you exercise.

Aerobic Exercise

If your goal is to strengthen your cardiovascular sys- tem, your exercise must be Òaerobic.Ó Aerobic exercise is activity that requires large amounts of oxygen for prolonged periods of time. This increases the demand on the heart to pump blood to the muscles, and on the lungs to oxygenate the blood. For aerobic exercise, adjust the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate is near the high end of your training zone.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR HEART RATE

To measure your heart rate, place

two fingers on your wrist as shown. Stop exer-

cising and take a six-second heart- beat count.

Multiply the result by ten to find your

heart rate. (A six-second count is used because your heart rate drops quickly when you stop exercising.) If your heart rate is too high or low, adjust the intensity of your exercise.

WORKOUT GUIDELINES

Each workout should include three important parts:

A Warm-upÑBegin each workout with 5 to 10 min- utes of stretching and light exercise. A proper warm-up increases your body temperature, heart rate and circu- lation in preparation for exercise.

Training zone exerciseÑAfter warming up, increase the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate is in your training zone for 20 to 30 minutes. NOTE: During the first few weeks of your exercise program, do not keep your heart rate in your training zone for longer than 20 minutes.

12