10. CONDITIONING GUIDELINES
Howyoubeginyourexerciseprogramdependsonyourphysicalcondition.Ifyouhavebeeninactiveforseveralyears,or
are severely overweight, you must start slowly and increase your time on the equipment; a few minutes per workout.
Initially,youmaybeabletoexerciseonlyforafewminutesinyourtargetzone,however,youraerobictnesswillimprove
overthenextsixtoeightweeks.Don’tbediscouragedifittakeslonger.It’simportanttoworkatyourownpace.Ulti-
mately,you’llbeabletoexercisecontinuouslyfor30minutes.Thebetteryouraerobictness,theharderyouwillhaveto
worktostayinyourtargetzone.Pleaseremembertheseessentials:
• Haveyourdoctorreviewyourtraininganddietprogramstoadviseyouofaworkoutroutineyoushouldadopt.
• Beginyourtrainingprogramslowlywithrealisticgoalsthathavebeensetbyyouandyourdoctor.
• Monitoryourpulsefrequently.Establishyourtargetheartratebasedonyourageandcondition.
• Setupyourequipmentonaat,evensurfaceatleast3feetfromwallsandfurniture.
EXERCISE INTENSITY
To maximizethebenetsofexercising,itisimportanttoexercisewiththe
proper intensity. The proper intensity level can be found by using your heart
rateasaguide.Foreffectiveaerobicexercise,yourheartrateshouldbe
maintainedatalevelbetween65%and85%ofyourmaximumheartrate
asyouexercise.Thisisknownasyourtargetzone.Yo u canndyourtarget
zoneinthetablebelow.
Duringtherstfewmonthsofyourexerciseprogram,keepyourheartratenearthelowendofyourtargetzoneasyou
exercise.Afterafewmonths,yourheartratecanbeincreasedgraduallyuntilitisnearthemiddleofyourtargetzoneas
youexercise.
To measureyourheartrate,stopexercisingbutcontinuemovingyourlegsorwalkingaroundandplacetwongerson
yourwrist.Ta ke asix-secondheartbeatcountandmultiplytheresultsby10tondyourheartrate.Forexample,ifyour
six-secondheartbeatcountis14,yourheartrateis140beatsperminute.(Asix-secondscountisusedbecauseyour
heartratewilldroprapidlywhenyoustopexercising.)
Adjusttheintensityofyourexerciseuntilyour
heart rate is at the proper level.
For more information visit www.trojanhealth.co.za
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