15
IMPORTANT
Please review this section before you begin exercising.
EXERCISE GUIDELINES
IMPORTANT:
If you are over 35 and have been inactive
for several years, you should consult your
physician, who may or may not recommend a
graded exercise test.
If you are just beginning your exercise program,
your target heart rate range should be roughly at
60% of your maximum heart rate. As you become
more conditioned (or if you are already in good
cardiovascular shape) you can increase your
target heart rate to 70%-85% of your maximum
heart rate. Remember, your target heart rate is
only a guide.
You should also consult your physician if you
have the following:
• High blood pressure
• High
cholesterol
• Asthma
• Heart
trouble
• Family history of early stroke or
heart attack deaths
• Frequent dizzy spells
• Extreme breathlessness after mild exertion
• Arthritis or other bone problems
• Severe
muscular, ligament
or
tendon problems
• Other known or suspected disease
• If you experience any pain or tightness
in your chest, an irregular heartbeat or
shortness of breath, stop exercising
immediately. Consult your physician
before continuing.
• Pregnant
• Balance impairment
• Taking medications that affect heart rate
KNOWING THE BASICS
Physical fitness is most easily understood by
examining its components, or "parts".
There is widespread agreement that these
five components comprise the basics of
physical training:
CARDIORESPIRATORY ENDURANCE
– the ability
to deliver oxygen and nutrients to tissues, and to
remove wastes, over sustained periods of time.
Using your bike will improve this.
MUSCULAR STRENGTH
– the ability of a muscle to
exert force for a brief period of time. Upper-body
strength, for example, can be measured by various
weight-lifting exercises.
MUSCULAR ENDURANCE
– the ability of a muscle,
or a group of muscles, to sustain repeated contrac-
tions or to continue applying force against a fixed
object. Push ups are often used to test endurance
of arm and shoulder muscles.
FLEXIBILITY
– the ability to move joints and use
muscles through their full range of motion. The
sit-and-reach test is a good measure of flexibility of
the lower back and backs of the upper legs.
BODY COMPOSITION
– often considered a compo-
nent of fitness. It refers to the makeup of the body
in terms of lean mass (muscle, bone, vital tissue and
organs) and fat mass. An optimal ratio of fat to lean
mass is an indication of fitness, and the right types
of exercises will help you decrease body fat and
increase or maintain muscle mass. To help track
your progress we have provided Workout Progress
Charts on pages 22 – 23.
A COMPLETE EXERCISE PROGRAM
How often, how long and how hard you exercise,
and what kinds of exercises you do should be
determined by what you are trying to accomplish.
Your goals, your present fitness level, age, health,
skills, interest and convenience are among the
factors you should consider. For example, an
athlete training for high-level competition would
follow a different program than a person whose
goals are good health and the ability to meet
work and recreational needs.
Your exercise program should include something
from each of the four basic fitness components
