Books, videotapes, internet and personal trainers are all great sources of information on exercise program. Make sure the information comes from a credible source such as 'The American College of Sports Medicine' (ACSM) or 'The American Council on Exercise' (ACE).
For every good information resource, there is also a gimmick or fad. A simple rule of thumb is that if it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. The best route to a happier, healthier life is good old-fashioned work - 20 + minutes per day, 3-5 times per week. Several key considerations will help you determine the best program for you.
FIT ( Frequency, intensity, time) , heart rate, exercise variety and setting goals.
- Frequency: How often you workout. Three to Five time per week is best.
- Intensity: Whatever your exercise goals, you need to exercise at the right intensity level. If you don't exercise hard enough, you won't get the results you want. Exercise too hard and you could experience unnecessary pain and risk injury, leading you to abandon your exercise routine altogether.
- Time: Time is the duration of your workout. To achieve the results you are looking for, it's important that you exercise for 20 minutes. If you are new to exercise, slowly increase the duration of each workout. A great method is to add one minute to each workout until you reach your desired time.
Heart Rate: Your heart rate is your body's speedometer. The best way to gauge your exercise intensity is by measuring your heart rate.
What should my heart rate be?
To understand exercise intensity you must first determine your theoretical maximum heart rate (TMHR) by substracting your age from 220. The lower limit of your heart rate training zone is 55 % of your TMHR; the upper limit is 90 % of TMHR. You should always exercise within these numbers.
Example: for a 30 year old exerciser:
220-30 = 190 TMHR in beats per minutes (BPM)
Lower Limit: 190 * 0.55 = 104.5 BPM
Upper Limit: 190 * 0.90 = 171.0 BPM
This shows that a 30-year-old exerciser's heart rate should be between 104.5 and 171 beats per minutes during a workout.
If your exercise goal is to burn fat and lose weight, you should exercise in the range of 60 % to 70 % of your TMHR. You should also exercise for a longer period of time, at least 30 minutes. This will maximize the calories being burned from fat stores.
If your goal is to improve your cardiovascular level, then you should train at a higher intensity, in the 75 % to 90 % TMHR range. While exercising in this higher intensity range, you will be conditioning your heart and lungs to maximize your overall cardiovascular fitness.
BMI : Body Mass Index
What is BMI?
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI is a fairly reliable indicator of body fatness for most people. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA).1, 2 BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.
How is BMI used?
BMI is used as a screening tool to identify possible weight problems for adults. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. For example, a person may have a high BMI. However, to determine if excess weight is a health risk, a healthcare provider would need to perform further assessments. These assessments might include skinfold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.
Why CDC use BMI to measure overweight and obesity ?
Calculating BMI is one of the best methods for population assessment of overweight and obesity. Because calculation requires only height and weight, it is inexpensive and easy to use for clinicians and for the general public. The use of BMI allows people to compare their own weight status to that of the general population.
What are some other ways to measure obesity? Why doesn't CDC use those to determine overweight and obesity among the general public?
Other methods to measure body fatness include skinfold thickness measurements (with calipers), underwater weighing, bioelectrical impedance, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and isotope dilution. However, these methods are not always readily available, and they are either expensive or need highly trained personnel. Furthermore, many of these methods can be difficult to standardize across observers or machines, complicating comparisons across studies and time periods.
How is BMI Calculated and Interpreted?
BMI is calculated the same way for both adults and children. The calculation is based on the following formulas:
For adults 20 years old and older, BMI is interpreted using standard weight status categories that are the same for all ages and for both men and women. For children and teens, on the other hand, the interpretation of BMI is both age- and sex-specific.
The standard weight status categories associated with BMI ranges for adults are shown in the following table.
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