Conditioning Guidelines - Weslo Cadence Dl15 User Manual

CONDITIONING GUIDELINES

WARNING:
this or any exercise program, consult your
physician. This is especially important for
individuals over the age of 35 or individuals
with pre-existing health problems.
The following guidelines will help you to plan your exer-
cise program. Remember—these are general guide-
lines only. For more detailed exercise information,
obtain a reputable book or consult your physician.
EXERCISE INTENSITY
Whether your goal is to burn fat or to strengthen your
cardiovascular system, the key to achieving the desired
results is to exercise with the proper intensity. The prop-
er intensity level can be found by using your heart rate
as a guide. The chart below shows recommended heart
rates for fat burning and aerobic exercise.
To find the proper heart rate for you, first find your age
on the left side of the chart (ages are rounded off to the
nearest ten years). Next, find the three numbers to the
right of your age. The three numbers are your "training
zone." The lower two numbers are recommended heart
rates for fat burning; the higher number is the recom-
mended heart rate for aerobic exercise.
Fat Burning
To burn fat effectively, you must exercise at a relatively
low intensity level for a sustained period of time. During
the first few minutes of exercise, your body uses easily
accessible carbohydrate calories for energy. Only after
the first few minutes does your body begin to use stored
fat calories for energy. If your goal is to burn fat, adjust
the speed and incline of the treadmill until your heart
rate is near one of the lower two numbers in your train-
ing zone. It may also be helpful to set the speed control
Before beginning
on the console to FAT BURN to help you maintain the
proper intensity level. (See page 8.)
Aerobic Exercise
If your goal is to strengthen your cardiovascular sys-
tem, your exercise must be "aerobic." Aerobic exercise
is activity that requires large amounts of oxygen for
prolonged periods of time. This increases the demand
on the heart to pump blood to the muscles, and on the
lungs to oxygenate the blood. For aerobic exercise,
adjust the speed and incline of the treadmill until your
heart rate is near the higher number in your training
zone. It may also be helpful to set the speed control on
the console to AEROBIC to help you maintain the prop-
er intensity level. (See page 8.)
High Performance Athletic Conditioning
If your goal is high performance athletic conditioning,
set the speed control on the console to PERFOR-
MANCE to help you maintain the proper intensity level.
(See page 8.) Note: During the first few weeks of your
exercise program, keep your heart rate near the low
end of your training zone.
HOW TO MEASURE YOUR HEART RATE
To measure your
heart rate, stop
exercising and
place two fingers
on your wrist as
shown. Take a
six-second heart-
beat count, and
multiply the
result by ten to find your heart rate. (A six-second
count is used because your heart rate drops quickly
when you stop exercising.) If your heart rate is too high
or low, adjust the speed or incline of the treadmill
accordingly.
USING THE HAND WEIGHTS
The included hand weights let you add upper body
exercise to your workouts. As you walk on the tread-
mill, hold the 2-lb. weights at your sides or press the
weights above your head. To increase the intensity of
your exercise, use the 3-lb. or 4-lb. weights.
WARNING: Do not use the hand weights at speeds
higher than a walk. Using weights and not holding
the handrails may compromise your ability to main-
tain your balance. Exercises using weights should
be attempted only by experienced users.
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