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| THE ROAD TO 100 FIT TIP #36, 2007 — What Do You Perceive?
Cardiovascular training (such as walking, jogging, biking, swimming) is one of the best ways to improve health and control weight. However, I see so many people who either do not work hard enough or work way too hard to really get the most out of their workout. For maximum benefits, you must train at the appropriate level. Not too slow. Not too fast. Monitoring your heart rate is one way to achieve proper workout intensity, but for many people, especially beginners, perceived exertion is much more appropriate.
Perceived exertion is going more by how you feel than by how fast your heart is beating. The things to monitor using perceived exertion are:
- How hard are you breathing? You should experience rapid breathing during your workout. However, you should not be gasping for breath. If you are not really experiencing much change in your breathing, speed up. If you are gasping for breath, slow down.
- Can you speak without difficulty? If you can carry on a running conversation, speed up. If you cannot talk during your workout, slow down.
- Are you moderately comfortable? If you are not the least bit out of your comfort zone, speed up. If you are in discomfort or pain, either in your joints, your muscles or your general energy level, slow down.
These principles hold true no matter what kind of cardiovascular training you are doing. Whether you are walking your dog or your husband, swimming laps or using a cross trainer in the gym, follow these guidelines for optimum benefits. Your body will tell you whether you need to speed up or slow down. You just have to listen.
Answer to last week's fitness quiz:
"How many cells are there in the human body? "
50 million
Answer to last week's extra credit quiz:
"How far does the typical laboratory mouse run on a treadmill each night? "
A laboratory mouse typically runs 2.5 miles a night.
This week's fitness quiz:
"What is the hardest material in the body? "
Extra credit quiz:
"Who invented the popsicle?"
Corny Joke of the Week:
A diet is when you have to go to some length to change your width.
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