A Balanced Workout; - Warm-Up; Aerobic/Strength Exercise - Schwinn Evolution Owner's Manual

• Include an exercise program that provides as least 300 calories or more of
activity per day. This is best accomplished with exercise of low intensity and
long duration. Many pieces of home fitness equipment give estimates of
calories burned while exercising. Remember these are approximate calories
burned, exact amounts will depend on type of exercise, your body size,
intensity and duration.
• Add resistance training to your program to add muscle mass. Muscle cells
are more active than fat cells and will help you burn more calories per day.
• Include use of behavior modification techniques to identify and eliminate
bad diet and eating habits.
You should strive to burn between 300 to 500 calories per exercise session
and 1000 to 2000 calories per week in exercise. Remember that sustained
aerobic activities that use large muscle groups will cause the greatest energy
expenditure.
If overweight or obese, you may want to keep the intensity even lower
than 60 percent of maximum heart rate to keep the risk of orthopedic
injuries at a minimum. Nonweight-bearing activities such as stationary
cycling may be considered for this group, or for those who suffer from
orthopedic or arthritis problems.

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 response 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 or too 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 110 to 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
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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