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Quick guide for
exercising
Before beginning, you should ask yourself two key questions:
• What is the amount of my physical activity at the moment?
• What are my goals?
The following steps help you answer the two questions, get
the most out of your Polar Heart Rate Monitor, and achieve
your personal exercise goals.
1. DEFINE THE AMOUNT OF YOUR
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
You may have a clear understanding of your present physical
condition. In this case you can move to the next step to
specify your goals. You can also define the amount of your
physical activity by answering the questionnaire which is
modified from the “Code for Physical Activity” developed by
NASA/Johnson Space Center (Jackson et al. 1990).
The questionnaire is an easy and quick way to define whether
you are a beginner, a moderate exerciser, an active exerciser
or a serious exerciser. It is recommended to review the
questionnaire every 1-2 months and revise if the amount
of your physical activity has changed.
STRUCTURE OF AN EXERCISE SESSION
Begin each workout slowly and give your body a chance to
warm up for at least for 5 minutes so that your heart rate is
below the selected Target Zone. Gradually increase the
intensity of your exercise until you are in your Target Zone.
Remain in your Target Zone for the desired time. After that,
gradually reduce the intensity of your exercise and let your
heart rate fall below the Target Zone with a 5 minute cool-
down period.
For an example of an exercise session for a 35-year-old
person with ‘Improved Fitness’ as a target, please see the
following chart.
REFERENCES
American College of Sports Medicine. Position Stand. The Recommended
Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing and Maintaining
Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness in Healthy Adults. Med Sci
Sports Exerc 22: 265-274, 1990.
American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise
Testing and Prescription. Williams & Wilkins, 1995.
Jackson, A.S., Blair, S.N., Mahar, M.T., Wier, L.T., Ross, R.M. and Stuteville,
J.E. Prediction of functional aerobic capacity without exercise testing.
Med Sci Sports Exerc 22: 863-870, 1990.
TARGET
ZONE
Target Zone
cool
down
Resting
Warm
up
5-10 min 5-10 min
Heart Rate/Beats Per Minute
150
130
30-60 min
Resting
Minutes of exercise
FITWATCH.manual GBR/E 5.1.2001, 10:5520-21