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When embarking on a new exercise program, it is crucial to have a good understanding of various components that can have an impact on your health and fitness journey. Firstly, it’s important to consider the benefits of regular exercise, such as improving cardiovascular health, increasing muscle mass, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and enhancing mental wellbeing.

Secondly, starting a routine that is tailored to your fitness level and goals is key to ensuring your exercise program is sustainable and effective.

Thirdly, understanding the role of respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate in exercise can help you achieve optimal results. Additionally, it’s essential to learn how to monitor your heart rate to ensure you are exercising at the right intensity and to be aware of the effects of temperature extremes and altitude on your body.

Lastly, ensuring that you stay properly hydrated during exercise is essential for optimal performance and avoiding potential health risks. Overall, with a strong understanding of these key components, you’ll be well-equipped to start and maintain a successful exercise program.

This page also includes: Warm up/cool down; Duration, Frequency, Intensity & Movement Pattern; Breathing –Diaphragmatic & Pursed lip.

It is recommended that if you’re new to exercising or have pre-existing health concerns, you should consult your physician before beginning any exercise program. This will ensure that you receive personalized recommendations tailored to your unique health status, and potentially prevent any complications that may arise.

It is important to remember that the information presented here and in books is of an educational nature and should not be used in lieu of medical advice from your doctor and healthcare team.

Safety First

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  • Contributes positively to maintaining a healthy weight, building and maintaining healthy bone density, muscle strength, joint mobility, reducing surgical risks, and strengthening the immune system.
  • Helps to prevent or treat serious and life-threatening chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, insomnia, and depression.
  • Endurance exercise before meals lowers blood glucose more than the same exercise after meals.
  • It also improves mental health, helps prevent depression, helps to promote or maintain positive self-esteem, and can even augment an individual’s sex appeal or body image.

Physical Exercise – Wikipedia

AGE

  • Men over 45 and women over 55 should have medical evaluation before starting a vigorous exercise program.
  • If you will be participating in low to moderate exercise, it is suggested that those with, or have signs and symptoms of cardiopulmonary disease, set up a medical evaluation

MEDICAL AND PHYSICAL CONDITION

It is very important for you to be aware of any medical or physical problems that may impede your performance.

If you have any of the following issues, please see a medical doctor and/or physical therapist to address issues before starting an exercise program:

  • Cardiac issues
  • Pulmonary issues
  • Arthritis
  • Joint pain
  • Back pain
  • Diabetes
  • Acute or Chronic issues, such as, but not limited to:
    • Parkinson’s
    • Stroke
    • Autoimmune Diseases
    • Metabolic Disease
    • Orthopedic disorders/joint replacements.

Body Temperature

  • 98.6 Fahrenheit under tongue.

Respiration

  • 12-20 breaths per minute

Blood Pressure

  • Systolic/Diastolic 120/80.
    • Systolic is when the heart pumps blood to the body /
    • Diastolic is blood that remains in arteries when the heart relaxes.
  • Pre-hypertension: 120-139/80-89.
  • Hypertension:
    • Stage I 140-159/90-99
    • Stage II over 160/100

Resting pulse

  • Men: 70 beats per minute.
  • Women: 75 beats per minute.

Talk Test Method

  • This is a simple, subjective method for the beginner to determine your comfort zone while exercising.
  • Are you able to breathe and talk comfortably throughout the workout without gasping for air?
  • If not, reduce your activity level, catch your breath, and resume at a slower pace.

Heart Rate monitor or Watch

  • This is a device you wear on your wrist or chest, which allows you to measure your heart rate in real time.
  • These devices range in price at about $50.00 for just a basic HR monitor or higher with other bells and whistles.
  • Some of the popular manufacturers are Fitbit, Apple Watch, Garmin and Samsung Galaxy among others. (See Target Heart Rate)

Rate of Perceived Exertion

  • This method was designed by Dr. Gunnar Borg and is often called the Borg Scale (revised).
  • It rates what you feel your level of exertion is from a scale of 1-10, one being at rest and ten at maximal exertion.
  • A rate of 5-7 is recommended, somewhere between somewhat hard and very hard.
  • Like the talk test method, this is subjective and should be used with HR monitoring.

Training Heart Rate Measuring

  • Heart Rate:
  • Place your first and second finger over the pulse site and gently apply pressure.
  • Palpate the number of beats for a full minute or 30 sec x 2, 15 sec x 4 or 6 sec x 10.
  • If you have in irregular heartbeat, it is suggested counting the full 60 seconds.
  • Do not use the thumb, as this has its own pulse.

Take your pulse after you’ve been exercising for at least five minutes.

  • An easy way to check your pulse without interrupting your workout too much is to take a quick 6-second count and then multiply that number by 10 to get your heart rate in beats per minute (BPM).
  • Make sure your pulse is within your target heart rate zone (see below).
  • You can then increase or decrease your intensity based on your heart rate.
  • You can also wear a heart rate monitor.

Target heart rate range (THR)

  • Beginner or low fitness level: 50-60%
  • Intermediate or average fitness level: 60-70%
  • Advanced or high fitness level: 75-85%

Percent of maximal heart rate

  • 220 – Age = predicted maximum heart rate (HR).
  • To get the desired exercise intensity, multiply the predicted maximal HR by the percentage.
  • For example, a woman who is 40 years old of Intermediate fitness level would use the following equation at a 70% target heart rate:
    • 220 – 40 (age) =180 predicted maximal HR. 180 x 0.70 (THR) = 126 BPM – desired exercise HR.

Karvonen Formula: Percentage of Heart-rate reserve.

  • This formula factors in the resting HR as well, which will make the target heart rate higher than just the percentage of maximal heart rate.
  • To figure this out, take the predicted maximal heart rate as above with a resting HR prior to exercise.
  • Maximal HR – resting heart rate (RHR) = heart rate reserve; multiply by intensity + RHR + Target HR.
  • See example under Percentage of maximal HR.
    • Rest heart rate = 80. 220 – 40 (age) =180 (as above) – 80 (RHR) = 100 x 0.70 (THR) = 70 + 80 = 150 Target HR.

HEAT

  • Avoid exercise in the hottest part of the day, as well as in humid weather.
  • People need to sweat to regulate internal body temperature and must evaporate to dissipate heat.
  • During hot, humid weather, sweat cannot evaporate, and therefore cannot cool the body down.
  • It is also important to drink plenty of cool water during exercise, about 7-10 oz. every 10-20 minutes during exercise (see Dehydration).

Heat cramps:
• Severe cramps that begin in hands, feet or calves
• Hard, tense muscles

Heat exhaustion: Requires immediate medical attention, although not usually life threatening
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Headache
• Excessive thirst
• Muscle aches and cramps
• Confusion or anxiety
• Weakness
• Severe sweats that can be accompanied by cold, clammy skin
• Slow heartbeat (decreased pulse rate)
• Dizziness or fainting
• Agitation

Heat Stroke: Can occur suddenly, with or without warning from heat exhaustion. Obtain immediate medical attention, as this can be fatal
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headache
• Increased body temperature, but DECREASED sweating.
• Hot, flushed, DRY skin
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Rapid heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Decreased urination or may have blood in the urine.
• Confusion or loss of consciousness
• Convulsions

COLD

  • It is just as important to drink plenty of water when exercising in the cold weather secondary to increased urine production.
  • Be sure to dress in layers to help self regulate body temperature.
  • This simply involves taking off or putting back on clothing as dictated by the changing weather conditions.
  • Choose clothing that will keep moisture out and away from the skin, such as Gortex® brand.
  • Clothing that stays wet because of sweat will decrease your body temperature.

Hypothermia-Mild:

  • A body temperature that is below normal.
  • People with hypothermia are usually not aware of their condition due to confusion or being overly focused on their current activity.
  • Hypothermia may or may not include shivering in the early stages
    • Confusion
    • Lack of coordination
    • Fatigue
    • Nausea or vomiting
    • Dizziness

Hypothermia
• Shivering
• Slurred speech
• Mumbling
• Clumsiness
• Difficulty speaking
• Stumbling
• Poor decision making
• Drowsiness
• Weak pulse
• Shallow breathing
• Progressive loss of consciousness

DEHYDRATION

  • Excessive loss of body fluid (which can include water and solutes, usually sodium or electrolytes).
  • It is also important to drink plenty of cool water during exercise, about 7-10 oz. every 10-20 minutes during exercise.
  • During exercise, sports drinks may be necessary to keep an electrolyte balance as well.

Dehydration-Mild:
About 2% of water depletion
• Thirst
• Decreased urine volume
• Abnormally dark urine
• Unexplained tiredness
• Irritability
• Lack of tears when crying
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Dizziness when standing due to orthostatic hypotension
• May cause insomnia.

Moderate:
About 5% -6%of water depletion
• Grogginess or sleepiness
• Headache
• Nausea
• May feel tingling in limbs (parenthesis)

Severe:
About 10% -15% of water depletion
• Muscles may become spastic
• Skin may shrivel and wrinkle (decreased skin turgor)
• Vision may dim
• Urination will be greatly reduced and may become painful
• Delirium may begin.

Over 15% of water depletion
• Usually fatal.

ALTITUDE

  • Oxygen decreases as you increase the altitude.
  • The heart rate also increases as much as 50% above normal ranges.
  • It is important that the athlete take time to acclimate to higher altitudes, about two weeks for up to 8000 feet, and about 4-5 weeks for over 12,000 feet.
  • Signs and symptoms:
    • Insomnia
    • Irritability
    • Weakness
    • Dizziness.

Components of a Conditioning Program

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Benefits of warming up

• Increases the temperature in the muscles, which increases the speed of contraction and relaxation.
• Reduces premature lactic acid build up and fatigue during high level exercises.
• Increases speed of nerve impulse conduction.
• Increases elasticity of connective tissues
• Increases muscle metabolism and oxygen consumption that enhances aerobic performance.
• Alert for potential muscle injury that may arise during higher intensities.
• Increases endorphins.
• Allows the heart rate to get to a workable rate for beginning exercise.
• Increases production of synovial fluid located between the joints to reduce friction.
• Psychological warm up to mentally focus on training and competition.

Benefits of cooling down
• Prevents venous blood pooling at the extremities, which reduces chance of dizziness or fainting.
• Reduces the potential for Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS).
• Aids in removing waste products in muscles, such as lactic acid.
• Reduces the level of adrenaline and other exercise hormones in the blood to lower the chance of post-exercise disturbances in cardiac rhythm.
• Allows the heart to return back safely to resting rate.

Start out every routine with a warm up first.

Here are some suggestions
• Walking or outside
• Running up and down some stairs
• Jumping jacks
• Running in place
• Dynamic stretching

Equipment
• Treadmill
• Stationary or Recumbent bike
• Stair climber or Elliptical
• Mini trampoline

Intensity:
How much mental and physical effort it takes to sustain an activity.

  • This can be done using the target heart rate range THR (optimum exercise intensity levels through beats per minute, talk test or rate of perceived exertion.

Duration:
How long the training lasts.

  • The higher the intensity, the shorter the duration.
  • The American College of Sports Medicine guidelines recommends all healthy adults aged 18–65 yr should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 min on five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 min on three days per week.

Frequency:
How often the training occurs.

  • Training should be performed at least every other day or three days a week.
  • Cardiac/aerobic conditioning can be done daily, although you may want to vary exercises.
  • Regarding strength training, it is important to give each muscle group 48 hours to recover.
  • Alternate upper and lower body with isolated abdomen/core exercises every other day.
  • For those working out several days a week, find a schedule that works for you as long as you give each muscle group 48 hours of recovery time.

Movement Patterns and Examples
Basic movements that help to increase overall body strengthening

  • Bend and Lift: Squats, Dead Lifts and Leg presses
    • Picking up item off floor
  • Single Leg: Step ups, Single leg stance, Lunges
    • Walking up steps
  • Push: Shoulder press, Bench press, Push up
    • Pushing Shopping cart or Lawn mower
  • Pull: Lat pull downs, Seated rows
    • Vacuuming, Raking
  • Rotational
    • Shoveling snow

Diaphragmatic Breathing

  • Lie either on your back with your knees bent or sit up
  • Inhale through your nose; as you do so, allow your stomach to rise.
    • Limit movement in your chest.
    • Attempt to push your bottom ribs out to the side as you breathe in.
  • Exhale through your mouth; as you do so, allow your stomach to fall.
    • Limit movement in your chest.
  • Repeat for at least 10 cycles.

Pursed Lip Breathing

  • (PLB) is a breathing technique that consists of inhaling through the nose with the mouth closed and then exhaling through tightly pressed (pursed) lips.
  • This technique is frequently in those with cardiac or respiratory issues.
  • “Smell the Roses then Blow Out the Candle”.

Breathing with Exercise

  • Exhale on the exertion.
    • For example exhale when you are lying on your back and pushing a weight up or when bending your arm doing a bicep curl,.
  • Inhale as you bring the weight slowly to your chest or when you straighten your arm with a bicep curl..

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