Schwinn Airdyne Owner's Manual page 22

•Include an exercise program that p rovides asleast 300 c alories ormore o factivity per d ay.
This i sbest accomplished with exercise oflow intensity and long d uration. Many pieces of
home fitness equipment give e stimates ofcalories burned while e xercising. Remember these
are approximate calories burned, exact amounts will d epend on type o fexercise, your body
size, intensity and d uration.
Add resistance training toyour program toadd muscle mass. Muscle cells a re more active
than f at c ells a nd w ill h elp y ou burn m ore c alories per d ay.
Include use ofbehavior modification techniques toidentify and eliminate bad diet and eating
habits.
You s hould strive toburn b etween 300 t o500 c alories per e xercise session and 1000 to2000
calories per w eek i nexercise. Remember that s ustained aerobic activities that u se large
muscle group will c ause the greatest energy expenditure.
Ifoverweight orobese, you may w ant tokeep the intensity even l ower than 6 0 percent of
maximum heart rate t okeep the risk oforthopedic injuries ataminimum. Nonweight-bearing
activities such a s stationary cycling may b econsidered forthis group, or forthose who s uffer
from orthopedic orarthritis problems.
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A Balanced Workout
All of your balanced home workouts should include three parts:
- Warm-up
-The main aerobic and/or strength routine
- Cool-down
Together, exercise and recovery comprise fitness conditioning: deny either and you invite
injury and minimize benefits. Our bodies and minds become stronger and more efficient in re-
sponse to their use and exercise. Overuse and overload will cause breakdown. You don't want
too much, but just enough.
The secret is to know when you are pushing too much ortoo little. Monitoring your heart rate
tells you how much to exercise and when to rest.\
[] Warm-up
A good warm-up will help you perform better and will decrease the aches and pains most
people experience. The warm-up prepares your muscles for exercise and allows your oxygen
supply to ready itself for what's to come. Studies show that muscles perform best when they're
warmer than normal body temperatures. Warm-up exercises include cycling, walking, skiing
slowly until you begin to break a light sweat. This normally takes about 5 to 10 minutes. If using
a heart rate monitor, raise your heart rate to about 110to 120 beats per minute during your
warm-up.
Stretching before and after exercise also serves many purposes. By promoting flexibility, it
decreases the risk of injury and soreness. It also enhances physical performance by allowing
you to maintain a comfortable position on the bicycle longer. Take a few minutes to stretch
your legs, shoulders and lower back before you get on your home equipment.
[] Aerobic/Strength Exercise
Vigorous aerobic exercise is the core of your workout program. The
intensity of your exercise must be strenuous enough to raise your heart rate
into your target zone. This is usually between 60 and 90% of your maximum
heart rate. Cycling, or any exercise done in this range, is usually called aerobic
exercise. It means your body, your heart, and the various exercising muscles
are working at a level at which oxygen can be utilized. Exercising with a heart
rate monitor allows you to constantly receive visible feedback (and on some
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