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Beginners Guide
If you’re beginning an exercise program, you should check with your doctor if:
• You have been diagnosed with heart problems, high blood pressure or other medical conditions.
• You have not exercised for over a year.
• If you are over 35 and no not currently exercise,
• You are pregnant.
• You have diabetes.
• You have chest pain, or experience dizziness or fainting spells.
• You are recovering from an injury or illness.
Work-Out Tips
• Always perform stretching exercises both before and after your work-out see page 9.
• Start slowly; doing too much too soon can lead to injuries.
• If you are sore or tired, give yourself a few extra days to recover.
How to Begin
• Start with two or three 15 minute sessions per week with a rest day between work-outs.
• Warm-up for 5 to 10 minutes with gentle movements like walking or swinging your arms
in a circle and then stretch the muscles you’ll use during your work-out. Seated cycling
works mainly the quadriceps (thing) and hamstrings.
• Increase the pace and resistance to slightly harder than comfortable and exercise for as
long as you can. You may only be able to exercise for a few minutes at a time, but that
will change quickly if you exercise regularly.
• End each work –out with a 5-minute cool down with the resistance set to a low level. You
should then stretch the muscles you’ve just worked to prevent injury and cramp.
• Increase your work-out time by a few minutes each week until you can work continuously
for 30 minutes per session,
• Don’t worry about distance or pace. For the first few weeks, focus on endurance and con
-
ditioning.
How hard should you work?
When exercising, you should try to stay within your target heart rate (THR) zone. The table
on the previous page will tell you the THR for your age. This is only a guide and will depend
on the fitness and condition (health) of the person using the exercise bike. Always be aware
of how you feel when you exercise. If you feel dizzy or light-headed, stop immediately and
rest. If you’re not breaking a sweat, speed it up!
