Our bodies are made for moving. Unfortunately, the modern way of life is a
sedentary one. Our forefathers sweated it out in the fields to survive, while,
today, our work consists mostly of sitting on a chair, tapping away at a
computer. This explains why fitness has become such an important lifestyle
choice for so many of us.
Exercise makes us feel good. Exercise makes us strong and healthy. Saying
yes to fitness is to increase quality of life. Here are the main benefits
associated with exercise.
• it improves overall health and fitness
• it increases well-being, and reduces stress
With increased physical fitness, your body’s ability to take in and use oxygen
increases. Your muscles become stronger, your joints more fl exible, and the
amount of fat in your body decreases. Men and women of any age will
experience these benefits. For you to be successful, you should make exercise a constant part of your
life. Exercise needs to be regular for you to reap its benefits. This is probably
the first golden rule. Another key principle is determining the amount and type
of exercise that best corresponds to your personal fitness needs. How often you
should exercise, how long and at which intensity level are important issues
taken up in this guidebook.
Since our bodies are psychophysical entities, the mind will need to be in on
it, as well. Knowing when to relax and recover is as important a part of
fitness as the exercise itself. This guidebook provides you with advice to
help keep you motivated and on-track.
2. SETIING YOUR GOAL
To select appropriate goals for yourself, start by giving thought to why you
want to exercise in the first place. Is it because you want to become fitter
or lose weight? Or maybe improving the state of both your body and mind is
what you are after? You might want to increase your endurance capacities
or are just concerned about preserving your health. There may be a variety of
reasons for you taking up exercise, and they are all valid. But an important
part of achieving goals is knowing which ones to choose and how to define
them. Goals should be
• specific, not general
• challenging, but achievable
• divided into short-term subgoals Goals that are too general, vague or unrealistic will leave you feeling
frustrated and demoralized. Such goals will probably lead you to discontinue
your exercise regimen, or make you exercise in an ineffective or
counterproductive manner.
Crosscheck the benefits of a specific type of exercise with your personal
goals to make sure you are doing the right thing. None of us has time to
exercise the wrong way.
Goals don’t have to be too rigid or easy. They should challenge you and give
you a clear direction, but you should be able to revise them or clarify them
as you go along. A quantifiable subgoal is something you can measure, like heart rate:
• Record your average heart rate at a constant workload performance of,
for example, 10-15 minutes. If you’re using fitness equipment like a
treadmill, a stationary bicycle or rowing machine, a certain load
(resistance) and rate can be set. As you get more fit, your average heart
rate drops for a constant performance. If you don’t have access to such
equipment, you can instead run on an outdoor track or use a set of stairs.
Simply walk/jog at a certain speed and for a certain length of time or
journey.
• As you get fitter over time, your average heart rate gets lower and lower.
Correspondingly, your speed increases or time to walk/jog decreases at
a certain heart rate.
3. A WORLD OF CHOICES
Choosing the type of exercise that suits you will depend mainly on personal
goals and preferences. To find out what these are, start off by asking yourself
a few questions.
• Why do I want to exercise?
• Do I like exercising alone or in groups? Indoors or outdoors?
• What part of my body do I want to work on?
• What gives me pleasure?
Knowing what fitness benefits come with different types of exercise will help
make your choice a little easier. Ideally, you should be combining different
types of exercise to increase benefits. Generally speaking, exercise can be divided into the following types: Cardio
This is aerobic exercise that strengthens the heart. It makes you breathe hard
and sweat. Typical examples are Fitness walking, Nordic walking, jogging,
indoor cycling, swimming, group exercise etc.
Strength training and body toning
This is exercise that increases muscle strength, e.g. training with free weights
or resistance machines, alone or in groups.
Flexibility
These are types of exercise that improve range of motion by stretching
muscles, tendons and ligaments; they improve joint function and muscular
performance and may prevent injury.
Body & Mind
Exercise that engages the mind as well as the body is usually referred to as
Body & Mind. It is practiced in deep concentration and often targets core body
muscles. It improves body alignment, posture and balance. It also promotes
relaxation and all-round well-being. Typical examples are Yoga, Pilates and
Taiji. Next, you can give a thought to where you prefer exercising. This increases
your choices even further.
Health or fitness clubs
It’s social and offers a wide range of workout
options: treadmills, stationary bikes, group
fitness classes like dancing, martial arts,
resistance machines, Yoga etc.
Home
It’s safe and convenient. Popular home exercise
equipment include stairclimbers, treadmills,
stationary bikes and elliptical motion trainers.
Outdoors
The sky’s the limit. Fitness walking, Nordic
walking, jogging, cycling or inline skating, the
choice is virtually endless.
4. TESTING YOUR FITNESS
It is important to consider your current fitness level before you begin
designing your exercise plan. Having this information will help you choose a
more accurate and realistic goal for yourself, and, in fact, will infl uence the
entire makeup of your program. But what does being fit mean? And how can
it be tested?
What is fitness? There are four main elements that define physical fitness:
• aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness: your ability to take in and supply your
body with oxygen
• muscular fitness: muscle strength and endurance
• fl exibility: ability to move joints and stretch muscles
• body composition: the proportion of body fat to fat-free mass. All these are important elements to consider when analyzing your personal
fitness. But aerobic fitness is a central component. Increasing your aerobic
fitness has many health benefits, and can best be improved with exercise
that dynamically employs large muscle groups, such as Nordic walking,
jogging and cycling. All these are important elements to consider when analyzing your personal
fitness. But aerobic fitness is a central component. Increasing your aerobic
fitness has many health benefits, and can best be improved with exercise
that dynamically employs large muscle groups, such as Nordic walking,
jogging and cycling. Testing your aerobic fitness
There are numerous ways to test your aerobic fitness, ranging from
sophisticated lab tests to simple field tests. All are designed to measure or
predict maximal oxygen uptake. The easiest way to test your own fitness
level is the Polar Fitness Test™.
The Polar Fitness Test
You can perform the Polar Fitness Test* easily and reliably in the privacy of
your own home. All you need is your Polar Heart Rate Monitor and five, short
minutes to get a measure of your current fitness level. It is a safe test, even
if you are unfit, as it does not require any physical exertion whatsoever. In
fact, you should perform the test at complete rest.
The test is based on several variables (heart rate, heart rate variability, age,
body weight, gender and level of physical activity). The result of the Polar
Fitness Test is OwnIndex®. This is a value that is comparable to your
maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), a commonly used descriptor of aerobic
fitness. OwnIndex rises as you get fitter, and can range from about 25 for
sedentary or unfit persons to 95, a level reached by some Olympic-level
endurance athletes.
5. YOUR PERSONAL FITNESS PROGRAM
The makeup of your exercise program depends on your current fitness level
and fitness goals. You know where you are at now, and where you want to be
in the future. What you still need is a plan to reach your target, a plan that
will let you know how, what and when. The Polar Keeps U Fit™ - Own Workout
Program is designed just for that. Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program
is included in Polar F11 and F55 fitness heart rate monitors. Alternatively, you
can register at www.PolarFitnessTrainer.com for the Polar Fitness Trainer web
service. This grants access to the Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program
and provides interesting and useful information and training tips.
The Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout ProgramThe elements in a Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program include
• how often - the number of exercise sessions per week
• how hard - the intensity of each exercise session (as heart rate)
• how long - the duration of each exercise session
These comprise your exercise dose. The type of sports or exercise is, of course,
free for you to choose.
The Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program will recommend an individual
exercise dose per week according to your fitness level and goal. An exercise
dose is expressed in kilocalories to be burnt during one week, and is broken
down into a specific number of exercise sessions per week, with assigned
exercise duration, a heart rate target zone and kilocalorie target for every
session.
The Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program is divided into three categories
based on your personal exercise target: to maintain, improve or maximize
aerobic fitness.
Program target
Maintain
This is a program to maintain the fi tness level you are currently at. Such a
program requires not more than three exercise sessions a week. Since it is
advisable to start out slowly, this program is also suitable for beginners or if
you haven’t exercised in a long time. But even if your fi tness level is high,
following a maintain program during recovery periods, for instance, will be
benefi cial.
Improve
If improving fi tness is your goal, then your exercise program will be about
twice as demanding as a program to maintain fi tness at current level. For
this, you will need to reserve time for more sessions per week, and some of
the sessions will need to be longer and tougher.
Maximize
A program that maximizes your fi tness level goes slightly towards what
athletes do in their training. To move on from the Improve level, this program
increases exercise volumes even further. Go for this program only after a
10-12 week period of regular training in maintain or improve volumes.
Program intensity levels
Heart rate measures intensity
Heart rate is an accurate measure for training intensity. Maximum heart rate,
or HRmax, is the highest number of heartbeats per minute (bpm) achieved in
an all-out effort. HRmax is a useful tool in determining training intensities,
which can be expressed as percentages of HRmax.
Heart Rate Target Zones
In the Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program, there are three different
exercise zones with three different intensity levels. Each of these intensity
levels corresponds to various health and fi tness improving mechanisms in
your body. In the Maintain program, the emphasis is on the moderate intensity
zone including some exercising in lighter intensity. In Improve and Maximize
programs, the main emphasis is on the moderate intensity zone, but a clearer
combination of light as well as hard intensity zones are also included.
The Polar Body Workout™
The Polar Body Workout* is a strength training routine that caters to all
fi tness levels. A workout consists of one to three sets of a variety of strength
movements using free weights or weight resistance equipment. Once
activated in your wrist unit, the program provides a recommended number of
sets, repetitions and weights. Sets and weights may be reduced or increased
according to preference. Strength training should be made a part of any
fi tness program. It defi nes muscles, tones the body and decreases body fat.
So, if your exercise regimen is high on cardio, the Polar Body Workout will
round it off nicely and give it a benefi cial kick.
6. BURN CALORIES
Calories are energy units, and the energy you burn is a measurement of the
work your body does. Daily and weekly exercise targets can conveniently and
easily be set in terms of kilocalories. Knowing how many calories you burnt during your morning run, for instance,
gives you information on how much (or little) you worked. Also, keeping tabs
on calories is a great motivational tool. Aiming to burn e.g. 2000 kilocalories
per week through exercise, for example, is a goal you can easily verify.
Learning about how and how much your body burns calories during exercise
is also useful for weight management. The calorie counter in your Polar heart rate monitor counts the calories burnt
during your exercise session, and saves the information as a running sum
over as many exercise sessions as you choose. This way, you can crosscheck
that information against your target, or for weight management, against the
calories in your food.
When do they burn?
The amount of calories burnt during exercise depends on workout duration
and intensity, and your body weight. In other words, the longer an exercise
session and the higher the intensity, the more calories will burn. A heavier
person will burn more calories than a lighter person doing the same exercise.
And men will burn more calories than women for the same exercise because
men have more muscles. Moreover, calories burn more readily during exercise
that employs large muscles, like rowing or running. Exercise that requires you
to support your own weight will generally use up more energy than if weight is
supported by equipment.
What burns?
When you burn calories, your body uses fat and carbohydrates as sources of
energy. The amount of fat burnt varies according to exercise intensity. Even
though more calories burn at higher exercise intensity, the proportion of fat
use of total energy expenditure is less than at lower intensities.
Here are a few examples of burnt kilocalories per hour for a person weighing
155 pounds / 70 kg:
7. OWNZONE TRAINING
What is Polar OwnZone®
The unique Polar OwnZone* defi nes your personal exercise zone for effective
and safe training. The OwnZone function guides you through your warm-up
and, taking your present physical and mental condition into account, will
automatically determine an individual exercise intensity zone, your OwnZone.
How to use the Polar OwnZone
For effective and versatile training
• make use of the entire OwnZone range by exercising mostly at moderate
and lower intensities and, if you are in good condition, occasionally, at
hard intensity.
To adjust the training zones of your Polar Keeps U Fit - Own Workout Program
• your OwnZone can be determined for every individual exercise session,
but should especially be used when changing exercise environment or
exercise type, or if you are unsure about your present physical or mental
state.
Why Train With Polar OwnZone?
Listening to and interpreting the signals your body sends during physical
exertion is an important part of getting fi t. Since warm-up routines differ for
different types of exercise, and since your physical and mental state may
also vary from day to day (e.g. due to stress or illness), using the OwnZone
function for every session guarantees the most effective heart rate target
zone for that particular type of exercise and day.
Training within the heart rate limits of your Polar OwnZone:
• improves overall fi tness
• supports your weight management goals
• decreases stress levels
• improves health
• boosts general performance
8.IT’S NOT ONLY EXERCISE!
Regardless of the type of sport you choose, warm-up, cool-down and
stretching are as important to fi tness as exercise itself. Including recovery
periods in your weekly schedule is crucial to fi tness, as well.
To maximize the benefi ts to your heart and safeguard against injuries, be
sure your workout session always includes all three of the following phases:
1. Warm-up
2. Exercise in target heart rate zone
3. Cool-down and stretching.
Warm-up
A proper warm-up prior to an exercise session prepares your heart and
muscles for the action that lies ahead. It stimulates blood circulation and
makes muscles more fl exible. It is considered a crucial part of injury
prevention. Begin each workout slowly, giving your body a chance to warm
up for 5 to 10 minutes at a heart rate below your selected target zone. Then
gradually increase the intensity of your exercise until your heart rate reaches
your target zone.
Exercise in Target Zone
Once your heart rate has reached your target zone, maintain that intensity
for a set amount of time (typically 20 minutes or more), making sure you
stay inside your target zone. It’s important to be sensitive to your body’s
reactions while you exercise. Be sure to keep your breathing regular. If you
feel exceptionally breathless or dizzy, you’re probably working too hard (and
pushing your heart rate beyond your target zone), so ease up a little.
Cool-Down and Stretching
Cool down by gradually reducing the intensity of your exercise to bring your
heart rate back down to below your target zone. Then, stretch the main
muscles you just worked to prevent injury and stiffness. For example, stretch
your leg muscles after a run. And keep the following guidelines in mind
while stretching:
• Don’t bounce
• Stretch slowly and steadily
• Hold the stretch for a slow count of ten
• Don’t push yourself into a painful stretch
Recovery
Exercise puts positive stress on the body by forcing it to function outside its
comfort zone. During rest, the body will make adjustments to better face the
challenge next time you exercise. These adjustments are what will make your
body stronger. In other words, fi tness improves not during exercise but
during rest. Giving your body ample time to recover from exercise is therefore
crucial to getting fi t. Disregarding the need to rest and recover is quite
common practice and may lead to injury, overtraining or fatigue. Resting
properly isn’t the same as skipping workouts or being lazy. Resting is about
giving your body the time it needs to get stronger and fi tter.
With the Polar OwnRelax™, you can measure how rested your body is.
Polar OwnRelax
For most of us, a hectic and stressful pace at work, school and home is a rule
rather than an exception. Unless a conscious effort is made to keep stress
levels manageable, our energies can seriously be sapped leaving us tired and
listless. The Polar OwnRelax* is a feature that reminds you of the importance
of taking a break every day to relax and recharge. During an easy 5-minute
Polar relaxation session, measurements are taken of your heart rate and heart
rate variability, resulting in your OwnRelax. This is a value that corresponds to
your body’s state of relaxation.
Take the test several times under similar conditions over a longer period of
time. This way you can calculate your average OwnRelax and monitor changes
over time. As a general rule, the higher the OwnRelax and the lower the heart
rate (bpm), the more relaxed and better rested your body is.
