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Warm Up:
Warming up is an extremely important phase, but unfortunately, it's often
an activity that is ignored and painful, frustrating muscle pulls or strains
may be the result. There are two goals for warm - up: warming up the
muscles of the back and the extremities ( so that you can stretch them
without injury), and slight acceleration of the heart rate so the body can
move gradually into the target heart rate.
Warm - ups should consist of 5-10 minutes of exercises that are not very
demanding: marching in place, stepping side to side and swinging your
arms walking at a pace of about 3.5mph, ect. ( your heart rate should be
between 90 - 120.
A gradual warm - up will do the following:
Produce faster more forceful muscle contractions.
Increase your metabolic rate so oxygen is delivered to the working
muscles more quickly.
Leads to efficient calorie burning by increasing your core body
temperature Prevent injuries by improving the elasticity of your muscles.
Allow you to work out comfortable longer because your energy systems
are able to exercise, preventing the buildup of lactic acid in the blood.
Improves joint range of motion.
Psychologically prepares you for higher intensities by increasing your
arousal and focus on exercise.
Warm - up : Warm - up 5 to 10 minutes before aerobic activity.
Duration : Maintain your exercise intensity for 20 to 60 minutes.
Cool Down : Gradually decrease the intensity of your workout, then
stretch to cool down during the last 5 to10 minutes.
NOTE : If weight loss is your major goal, a minimum of 30 minutes of
aerobic activity five or more times per week is recommended.
DEVELOPING A FITNESS PROGRAM
