Developing A Fitness Program; Exercise Guidelines - Vision Fitness S7100 Owner's Manual

DEVELOPING A FITNESS PROGRAM

By purchasing this piece of VISION FITNESS exercise equipment, you
have made a commitment to exercise and now have the convenience of
exercising in your own home. Your new equipment offers the flexibility to
exercise at whatever time suits you best. It will be easier to maintain a
consistent exercise program that will help you achieve your fitness goals.
ACHIEVING YOUR FITNESS GOALS
An important step in developing a long-term fitness program is to determine
your goals. Is your primary goal to lose weight? Improve muscle tone?
Relieve stress? Prepare for the spring racing schedule? Knowing what your
goals are will help you develop a more successful exercise program. If
possible, try to define your personal goals in precise, measurable terms
over specific periods of time. Examples of these goals might include:
• Decrease your waistline by 5 cm / 2" over the next two months.
• Run the local 5K race this summer.
• Get 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise at least five days per week.
• Improve your race time by two minutes over the next year.
• Move from walking a mile to jogging a mile within the next three
months.
The more specific the goal, the easier it will be to track your progress. If
your goals are long-term, divide them into monthly and weekly segments.
Long-term goals can lose some of the motivational benefits. Short-term
goals are easier to achieve and will allow you to see the progress you are
making. Every time you reach a goal, it is important to set a new goal.
This will lead to a healthier lifestyle and will provide the motivation that
you will need to move forward.
TRACk YOUR PROGRESS
Now that you have set your exercise goals, it is time to write them down
and make an exercise schedule that will help you achieve them. By
keeping a fitness diary, you will stay motivated and know where you are
in terms of reaching your goals. As time goes on, you will be able to
look back with pride to see how far you've come. For your convenience,
32
we have included exercise log sheets in the wellness tools section of our
website at www.visionfitness.com.

EXERCISE GUIDELINES

EXERCISE DURATION
A common question asked is, "how much exercise do I need?" We
recommend following the guidelines set up by the American College of
Sports Medicine (ACSM) for healthy aerobic activity.
• Exercise three to five days per week.
• Warm up for five to 10 minutes before aerobic activity.
• Maintain your exercise activity for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Gradually decrease the intensity of your workout, then stretch to
cool down during the last five to 10 minutes.
If weight loss is a major goal, participate in your aerobic activity at least
30 minutes for five days each week.
EXERCISE INTENSITY
The next question asked is, "how hard do I need to work out?" To reap the
most cardiovascular benefits from your workout, it is necessary to exercise
within a recommended intensity range. We recommend monitoring your
exercise heart rate to measure exercise intensity.
33