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When to Exercise
The hour just before the evening meal is a popular time
for exercise. The late afternoon workout provides a
welcome change of pace at the end of the work day and
helps dissolve the day's worries and tensions.
Another popular time to work out is early morning,
before the work day begins. Advocates of the early start
say it makes them more alert and energetic on the job.
Among the factors you should consider in developing
your workout schedule are personal preference, job and
family responsibilities, availability of exercise facilities
and weather. It's important to schedule your workouts for
a time when there is little chance that you will have to
cancel or interrupt them because of other demands on
your time.
You should not exercise strenuously during extremely
hot, humid weather or within two hours after eating.
Heat and/or digestion both make heavy demands on the
circulatory system, and in combination with exercise can
be an over-taxing double load.
Measuring Your Heart Rate
When checking Heart Rate during a workout, take your
pulse within five seconds after interrupting exercise
because it starts to go down once you stop moving.
Count pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six to
get the per-minute rate.
Target Heart Rate
Aerobic intensity guidelines for healthy adults are
generally set at 40 to 85 percent of heart rate. But, if
you’re out of shape, remember that moderate to low
level and consistent cardiovascular training – well
below the standard recommendations set forth – can
result in substantial and beneficial effects to your health
and can greatly improve cardiovascular endurance.
You can use the following calculation to determine what
percentage of your heart rate you are working at:
% heart rate = (220 - age) x %.
Using this calculation, a 70% heart rate for a 40 year old
would be (220 - 40) x 70% or 126. Thus, this individual
would need to reach 126 beats per minute to equal a
70% heart rate.
The above are guidelines, people with any medical
limitations should discuss this formula with their
physician.
Clothing
All exercise clothing should be loose-fitting to
permit freedom of movement, and should make
the wearer feel comfortable and self-assured.
Never wear rubberized or plastic clothing, such
garments interfere with the evaporation of perspira-
tion and can cause body temperature to rise to
dangerous levels.
We recommend wearing comfortable athletic shoes
made of good support with non-slip soles. Do not
use this equipment with bare feet or when wearing
only socks or stockings.
Tips to Keep You Going
1) Adopt a specific plan and write it down.
2) Keep setting realistic goals as you go
along, and remind yourself of them often.
3) Keep a log to record your progress and
make sure to keep it up-to-date. See
charts in this booklet.
4) Include weight and/or percent body fat
measures in your log. Extra pounds can
easily creep back.
5) Enlist the support and company of your
family and friends.
6) Update others on your successes.
7) Avoid injuries by pacing yourself and
including a warm up and cool down
period as part of every workout.
8) Reward yourself periodically for a job
well done!