Customize an exercise program to achieve your fitness goals

Studies have shown that exercising regularly can increase the quality and duration of a person’s life. While this is all good and well, it doesn’t change the fact that beginning an exercise program is scary stuff. The enormous range of options available (weight programs, cardio classes, yoga, community sports, etc.) is overwhelming enough to squash even the best intentions and send us racing back to the couch.

It doesn’t have to be that way. A&M Systemwide recently spoke with Rose Schmitz, senior lecturer with Texas A&M University’s Department of Health and Kinesiology. Schmitz offered some easy tips on how to tailor an exercise program to your goals, personality and lifestyle.

Getting started
Before starting an exercise program, Schmitz strongly recommends making sure you are physically ready. Check with your doctor first, especially if you experience symptoms such as chest pains, dizziness or joint pains, or if you have a particular illness.

Next, determine what your goal is for exercising.

“Cardiovascular fitness should be the number one reason, because cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for Americans,” Schmitz said.

Other goals might include weight loss (exercise is an essential component to long-term weight control) and/or muscular strength and/or endurance.

“Muscular strength is important, but not as important as cardiovascular fitness,” Schmitz said. “Nobody has ever died from small biceps!”

Getting FITT
When developing an exercise program, Schmitz suggests following the FITT formula. FITT stands for frequency, intensity, time and type.

• Frequency. Schmitz said a minimum of three days of exercise per week is recommended. While this should be your goal, anything is better than nothing, so commit what you can and stick with it.
• Intensity. How hard should your workout be? The short answer is do more than you normally do (you should sweat). The more scientific answer is to aim for about 60% of your cardiovascular endurance maximum (see formula below).
• Time. How much time should you devote to each workout? Schmitz recommends shooting for 30 minutes of activity per day. She said those minutes do not have to be consecutive. A regimen of three different times per day for 10 minutes each yields improvements.
• Type. This refers to the type of activity you enjoy. Schmitz suggests incorporating a variety to prevent burnout, stagnation and boredom. For example, if the goal is to improve cardiovascular fitness, then a variety of appropriate activities might include cycling, running, walking, stair climbing, aerobic movement and water aerobics.

To get the most out of your exercise program, Schmitz also suggests:

• Beginning gradually. She says the most common mistake is starting too vigorously, which can cause excessive soreness and affect motivation.
• Starting with one component of fitness, such as cardiovascular activity. Start slowly and gradually increase to three to five days per week for 30 to 60 minutes per day. Schmitz said it might take a year or more to progress to this level.
• Adding a resistance program to strengthen muscle. The optimum level for exercising each major muscle group is three times per week, but once or twice a week is a great start.
• Stretching. Muscular flexibility is important and will help with ease of movement. This can safely be done on a daily basis, even while watching television.
• Being creative if you lack exercise facilities and/or equipment. Use the great outdoors for your cardiovascular workout, and work on flexibility while watching television. Use your own body weight for strength training by doing stomach crunches, lunges, dips, squats and pushups.
• Exercising with a friend.

Determining your training heart rate range
To determine your minimum training heart rate, use the Karvonen Formula. For example, a 50-year-old individual with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute (bpm) wants to work at 60% of his/her cardiovascular endurance maximum. To do this, the person must:

1. Determine maximum training heart rate by subtracting the person’s age from 220 (220-50 = 170)
2. Determine resting heart rate taken just after waking up in the morning (65 bpm)
3. Subtract resting heart rate from maximum training heart rate (170–65 = 105 bpm)
4. Multiply that number by 60% (105 x 60%=63 bpm)
5. Add that rate to the resting heart rate to find the minimum training heart rate. (63 + 65=128 bpm)

In this example, 128 bpm is the minimum heart rate the person would want to achieve during 30 minutes of activity.

For more information
If you need assistance developing a program that’s right for you, Schmitz suggests contacting fitness educators at public schools and universities. They are usually more than willing to share their knowledge and expertise, and their services are often free.

This information is provided as a service by Texas A&M University’s Department of Health and Kinesiology. If you have questions or would like more information, talk to your physician.

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H.E.A.D.s Up is a monthly column that features articles on a wide array of Health, Exercise And Diet issues. Information for these articles is provided by health and wellness professionals from throughout the A&M System. If you have questions or story ideas for this column, email Ruth McMullan.

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