TODAY, EXPLORE THE NEIGHBORHOOD ON FOOT, WALK OR JOG FOR 30 MINUTES AT A LEVEL 1 INTENSITY. Each day's exercise should be done at a particular intensity, or level of effort. There are 3 levels of intensity. Level 1 is the easiest, at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate (MHR); this is also called "conversation pace." Level 2 is 70-80% of your MHR, and level 3 is 80-90% of your MHR. To determine your MHR, use the formula (220 - age) for men and (226 - age) for women. This will give you a fair estimate, although a stress test or VO2max test will provide an exact value and is recommended. A heart rate monitor is a great tool to measure intensity, they are easy to use, inexpensive, and will teach you the subjective feeling associated with each level of intensity. The key to these initial aerobic sessions is that they are fun and particularly easy.
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