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Specificity
Different forms of exercise produce different results. The type of exercise carried out is specific both to the
muscle groups being used and the energy source involved. There is little transfer of the effects of exercise,
i.e., from strength training to cardiovascular fitness. That is why it is vital to have an exercise program
tailored to your specific needs.
Reversibility
If you stop exercising or do not do your program often enough, you will lose the benefits you have gained.
Regular workouts are the key to success.
Warm-Up
Every exercise program should start with a
warm-up
where the body is prepared for the effort to come. It
should be gentle and preferably use the muscles to be involved later. Stretching should be included in
both your
warm-up
and
cool-down
and should be performed after 3-5 minutes of low-intensity aerobic
activity or callisthenic type exercise.
Warm Down or Cool Down
This involves a gradual decrease in the intensity of the exercise session. Following exercise, an ample
supply of blood remains in the working muscles. If it is not returned promptly o the central circulation,
pooling of blood may occur in the muscles
Heart Rate
As you exercise, so the rate at which your heartbeat also increases. This is often used as a measure of the
required intensity of exercise. You need to exercise hard enough to condition your circulatory system and
increase your pulse rate, but not enough to strain your heart. Your initial level of fitness is important in developing
an exercise program for you. If you are starting, you can get a good training effect with a heart rate of 110-120
beats per minute (BPM). If you are fitter, you will need a higher threshold of stimulation. To begin with, you
should exercise at a level that elevates your heart rate to about 65 to 70% of your maximum. If you find
this is too easy, you may want to increase it, but it is better to lean on the conservative side.
As a rule of thumb, the maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. As you increase in age, your heart,
like other muscles, loses some of its efficiency. Some of its natural loss is won back as fitness improves.
The following table is a guide to those who are "starting fitness."
Age
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
Target Heart Rate
10 Second Count
23
22
22
21
20
19
19
18
18
Beats Per Minute
138
132
132
126
120
114
114
108
108
Pulse Count
The pulse count (on your wrist or carotid artery in the neck, taken with two index fingers) is done for ten seconds,
taken a few seconds after you stop exercising. This is for two reasons: (a) 10 seconds is long enough for
accuracy, (b) the pulse count is to approximate your BPM rate when you are exercising. Since heart rate slows
as you recover, a longer count isn't as accurate. The target is not a magic number but a general guide. If you're
above average fitness, you may work quite comfortably, a little above that suggested for your age group.
The following table is a guide to those who are keeping fit. Here we are working at about 80% of maximum".
Age
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
Target Heart Rate
10 Second Count
23
22
22
21
20
19
19
18
18
Beats Per Minute
138
132
132
126
120
114
114
108
108
Do not push yourself too hard to reach the figures on this table.
