CONDITIONING GUIDELINES
lING:
The following guidelines willhelp you to plan your
exercise program. Remember that proper nutdtion
and adequate rest are essential for successful results.
EXERCISE INTENSITY
Whether your goal is to burn fat or to strengthenyour
cardiovascularsystem, the key to achievingthe
desired results is to exercise with the proper intensity.
The proper intensitylevel can be found by usingyour
heart rate as a guide. The chart below shows recom-
mended heart rates for fat burning, maximum fat
burning, and cardiovascular(aerobic) exercise.
155 145 140 130 125 115165
145 138 130 125 118 110 103 _)
125 120 115 110 105 95 90 W
20 30 40 50 60 70 80
To find the proper heart rate for you, first findyourage
on the bottom line of the chart (ages are rounded off
to the nearest ten years). Next, findthe three numbers
above your age. The three numbersare your "training
zone." The lowertwo numbers are recommended
heart rates for fat burning;the highest number isthe
recommended heart rate for aerobic exercise.
Fat Burning
To burn fat effectively, you must exercise at a relative-
ly low intensity level for a sustained pedod of time.
Dudng 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 bum fat, adjust the intensity of your
exercise until your heart rate is near the lowest num-
ber in your training zone as you exercise.
For maximumfat burning, adjustthe intensityof your
exercise until your heart rate is near the middle num-
ber in your training zone as you exercise.
Aerobic Exercise
If yourgoal is to strengthen yourcardiovascularsys-
tem, your exercise must be "aerobic." Aerobic exer-
cise is activitythat requireslarge amountsof oxygen
for prolongedperiodsoftime. This increases the
demand on the heart to pump bloodto the muscles,
and on the lungsto oxygenate the blood. For aerobic
exercise, adjustthe intensityof your exercise until
your heart rate is near the highestnumber in your
trainingzone as you exercise.
WORKOUT GUIDELINES
Each workout should include the following three parts:
A warm-up, consisting of 5 to 10 minutes of stretching
and light exemise. A proper warm-up increases your
bodytemperature, heart rate, and circulationin prepa-
ration for exercise.
Training zone exercise, consisting of 20 to 30 min-
utes of exercisingwith yourheart rate in your training
zone. (Duringthe first few weeks of your exercise
program,do not keep yourheart rate in your training
zone for longer than 20 minutes.)
A cool-down, with5 to 10 minutes of stretching.This
will increasethe flexibilityofyour musclesand will
helpto prevent post-exerciseproblems.
EXERCISE FREQUENCY
To maintainor improveyour condition,complete three
workoutseach week, with at least one day of rest
between workouts.After a few months of regular exer-
cise, you may complete up to five workoutseach week
if desired.The key tosuccessis to make exercise a
regular and enjoyable part of youreveryday life.
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