Putting it all together.
Aerobic Phase
Exercise Session
There are five phases to a basic fitness program and they typically proceed in the following order:
1. Warm Up Phase
2. Flexibility Phase
3. Cardiovascular Training Phase
4. Resistance/Strength/Muscular/Functional Training Phase
5. Cool Down Phase with Stretches
Cardiovascular Training (Aerobic) Phase
Aerobic exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues and helps your cardiovascular system work more efficiently. This improves heart and lung health, which gives you more energy to tackle daily chores. It can be as simple as going out for a walk at a moderate to somewhat hard pace for more than couple minutes. Ten or more minutes is preferred. Remember pace/intensity is all relative. What might be easy for someone might be hard for someone else. Aerobic exercise should be done 3 or more times a week. Make sure you warm up before.
Where to Start
I often suggest starting with a basic walking program either on a treadmill or outdoors. Try to move at a pace that feels comfortable, but where you know you are moving. Try to do 10 or more minutes and build on that. When your pace gets easy pick it up. Just do what you can do and make it work for you. If it is too much you will not stick with it. It would be great if you can build up 30 to 60 minutes a day most days per week. As you progress you can work between several intervals of 1 minute moderate with 1 minute higher intensity. This is known as interval training. It could be as easy as going from 2.7 mph for 1 minute to 3.2 mph for 1 minute and repeating that a few times. Keep it simple :) This program can be done with most exercise machines. Besides walking elliptical and exercise bikes are great machines to start with as well because the amount of resistance can be adjusted to accommodate your fitness level.
Interval Training is a great form of Aerobic Exercise
In addition to Aerobic Exercise (walking) for 20 or more minutes most days Practice High Intensity Interval Training 1-2 X a week
What is High Intensity Interval Training (High Intensity Interval Training - HIIT):
Basically it is cardiovascular exercises that is ramped up beyond your comfort level briefly 10, 20, 30 or more seconds and then is brought down to something that is moderate. This cycle of high and low is done for several cycles. Typically sessions include a warm up of low level activity (5 minutes or so) and then intervals of high and low for whatever duration you can tolerate. Some people like 30 seconds of high intensity activity with 60 seconds of low intensity activity over several cycles. Find what works best for you. MAKE SURE YOU ARE HEATHY ENOUGH TO DO-SEE PAR Q
How Much Interval Training (High Intensity Interval Training - HIIT)? HIIT should be done at least once or twice a week for 1 or more minutes (example climb a flight of stairs fast for 10 to 20 seconds, recover and repeat for a total of 1 or more minutes). When you do HIIT you are looking to get your heart rate up more than regular aerobic training as well as get out of breath briefly. Additionally do continuous aerobic training 2-5 x a week for 20-40 minutes like walking.
Type: The beauty of interval training is that you can do it with virtually any type of aerobic exercise, whether outside (walking or running), indoors (on a bike, stair-climber, treadmill, or elliptical), or in the water (swimming or aqua aerobics) or use the stairs- great form of HIIT. Remember: Do up to 90 more minutes of moderate activity a week in addition to interval training (walking).
Make It Work For You: Just challenge yourself for 20 seconds or a minute. It can be as simple as powering up your walking speed for a block or climbing a flight of stairs fast. Do this a couple times a day.
SPEED YOUR RESULTS with this Program Use your intensity level as a guide. During low-intensity activity, talking should be relatively easy; at a medium pace, you'll be slightly breathless while trying to converse; at the high end, saying more than a few words should be a challenge.
Program: 20 Minutes of HIIT 2 x a week with other days of continuous aerobic exercise and actively living.