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GUIDELINES
> Include an exercise program that provides as least 300 calories or more of activity per day. This is
best accomplished with exercise of low intensity and long duration. Many pieces of home fitness
equipment give estimates of calories burned while exercising. Remember these are approximate calories
burned, exact amounts will depend on type of exercise, your body size, intensity and duration.
> Add resistance training to your program to add muscle mass. Muscle cells are more active than fat
cells and will help you burn more calories per day.
> Include use of behavior modification techniques to identify and eliminate bad diet and eating habits.
You should strive to burn between 300 to 500 calories per exercise session and 1000 to 2000
calories per week in exercise. Remember that sustained aerobic activities that use large muscle group
will cause the greatest energy expenditure.
If overweight or obese, you may want to keep the intensity even lower than 60 percent of
maximum heart rate to keep the risk of orthopedic injuries at a minimum. Nonweight-bearing activities
such as stationary cycling may be considered for this group, or for those who suffer from orthopedic or
arthritis problems.
> A Balanced Workout All of your balanced home workouts should include three parts:
> Warm-up
> The main aerobic and/or strength routine
> Cool-down
Together, exercise and recover y comprise fitness conditioning: deny either and you invite injury and
minimize benefits. Our bodies and minds become stronger and more efficient in response to their use
and exercise. Overuse and overload will cause breakdown. You don't want too much,
but just enough.
The secret is to know when you are pushing too much or too little. Monitoring your heart rate
tells you how much to exercise and when to rest.
> Warm-up
A good warm-up will help you perform better and will decrease the aches and pains most people
experience. The warm-up prepares your muscles for exercise and allows your oxygen supply to ready
itself for what's to come. Studies show that muscles perform best when they're warmer than normal
body temperatures. Warm-up exercises include cycling, walking, skiing slowly until you begin to break
a light sweat. This normally takes about 5 to 10 minutes. If using a heart rate monitor, raise your heart
rate to about 110 to 120 beats per minute during your warm-up.
Stretching before and after exercise also serves many purposes. By promoting flexibility, it
decreases the risk of injury and soreness. It also enhances physical performance by allowing you to
maintain a comfortable position on the bicycle longer. Take a few minutes to stretch your legs,
shoulders and lower back before you get on your home equipment.
> Aerobic/ Strength Exercise
Vigorous aerobic exercise is the core of your workout program. The intensity of your exercise must
be strenuous enough to raise your heart rate into your target zone. This is usually between 60 and 90%
of your maximum heart rate. Cycling, or any exercise done in this range, is usually called aerobic
exercise. It means your body, your heart, and the various exercising muscles are working at a level at
which oxygen can be utilized. Exercising with a heart rate monitor allows you to constantly receive
visible feedback (and on some models audible feedback) as to what your heart rate is while exercising,
and allows you to stay within your selected target heart rate zone.
IDENTIFYING YOU BALANCED FITNESS GOALS