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EXERCISE GUIDE
CONDITION
To be in good physical condition means that one has the physical capacity to live everyday life
to the full. Modern society has created a life-style which features inactivity. Our diet has
become too rich and we suffer from too much stress. Medical opinion is unanimous on the
benefit of properly selected exercise to improve physical fitness, weight control and the ability
to relax.
WHAT EXERCISE DOES
Regular physical exercise above a certain minimum level and of a duration of 15 to 20 minutes
becomes aerobic. Aerobic exercise is exercise which fundamentally uses oxygen. It is normally
a continuous exercise without any breaks. That is in addition to a supply of sugar and fat the
body requires oxygen in the muscles. With regular exercise the ability to take oxygen into all
the muscles in the body increases: with better lung function, increased pumping capacity of the
heart and better operation of the whole blood circulatory system. Clearly the energy required to
exercise, burns off kilo-calories (more popularly known as Calories).
RELATION BETWEEN EXERCISE AND WEIGHT CONTROL
If one consumes more Calories than one burns, the result is a gain in weight. If conversely one
burns more Calories than is consumed one loses weight. At rest our bodies burn about 70
Calories per hour to keep the heart pumping, the lungs operating and all other organs
functioning. The table below shows some typical approximate energy losses for various
activities for a person of around 70 kg. (150 Lbs.).
ACTIVITY
ENERGY LOSS PER HOUR IN CALORIES
Moderate walking
140
House work
150
Swimming (400 m/h)
300
Vigorous dancing
350
Vigorous walking (6km/h) 370
Tennis
420
Fast cycling (20 km/h)
600
Squash
690
MONITOR THE HEART BEAT
The body’s work rate is reflected by the rate of heart beat (pulsations) which increases as the
work rate increases. The effort in your workout depends on the resistance. If you increase the
resistance, the work rate and the heart rate increase too. If the work rate maintains constant,
