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| Monitoring Exercise Intensity Using
Perceived Exertion | A Walk A Day | Interval Training |
| Cross Training for Fun and Fitness |
Monitoring Exercise Intensity Using Perceived
Exertion
You want to get fit. You want to look good. And you want to
stay healthy. But how hard are you going to have to exercise to achieve those
things?
To reap the most cardiovascular benefits from your workout, it
is necessary to exercise within a recommended intensity range. In some respects,
gauging our exercise intensity can be a difficult task.
Heart-rate assessment is a commonly used method for monitoring
exercise intensity. For some, however, this method can be difficult to master,
particularly during exercise.
One of the easiest ways to monitor your exercise intensity is
to rate perceived exertion (RPE). Whether you walk, jog, bicycle, bench step,
climb stairs or perform low-impact aerobics, your exercise intensity should be
within a range of comfort.
By becoming familiar with the RPE scale, you can continually
assess your exercise intensity and ensure a level of exertion that is
comfortable.
Why use RPE?
Monitoring exercise intensity with the RPE scale is
beneficial because:
1. It provides a double-check on heart rate, especially when
the target heart-rate zone is estimated from age.
2. Assessing RPE can be performed without stopping to
''check'' it, as is necessary with heart-rate monitoring.
3. There is no equipment you can buy to accurately describe
your perception of intensity (whereas heart-rate monitors can be expensive for
accurate pulse count).
An increase in exercise intensity is directly related to
elevation in exercise heart rate and other metabolic processes. Consequently,
RPE can be used alone or together with heart rate when monitoring exercise
intensity.
During aerobic activities, perceived effort is a combination
of sensory input from muscles, joints, breathing rate and heart rate. By using
the RPE scale, you can more accurately ''describe'' your sensation of effort
when exercising and gauge how hard you are working. Plus, RPE helps you evaluate
your internal comfort zone, or ''how you feel'' during the exercise session,
with respect to the normal sensation of exertion, breathing, and even
discomfort.
How many times have you exercised and not felt comfortable, or
seemed to be extending beyond your comfortable exertion level? The use of your
perceived exertion is helpful in monitoring intensity in order to avoid
uncomfortable exercise sessions.
How to use RPE
Perceived exertion is assessed by use of a 0-to-10
chart to rate the feelings caused by your exertion. For example, quietly sitting
in a chair would have a rating of 0. Adding a gentle waving of your arms might
increase the effort rating to 0.5. Walking at a pace that you feel is moderate
would be given a rating of 3.
Remember, the rating of your exertion should be completely
independent of the pace you think you are walking; it is dependent solely on the
feelings caused by the exertion. Increase the pace to a run and add a hill and
you could work your way up to a 10 on the scale.
The recommended RPE range for most people is usually between 3
(moderate) and 5 (strong).
Who uses RPE?
Regardless of fitness or training, anyone can use
perceived exertion to effectively gauge exercise intensity.
Whether you are new to aerobic exercise, or a fitness
enthusiast, use the RPE scale to become familiar with your perception and
description of exercise effort. Using RPE, your exercise sessions will be more
effective and more enjoyable.
You want to get fit. You want to look good. And you want to stay healthy. But
how hard are you going to have to exercise to achieve those things?
To reap the most cardiovascular benefits from your workout, it
is necessary to exercise within a recommended intensity range. In some respects,
gauging our exercise intensity can be a difficult task.
Heart-rate assessment is a commonly used method for monitoring
exercise intensity. For some, however, this method can be difficult to master,
particularly during exercise.
One of the easiest ways to monitor your exercise intensity is
to rate perceived exertion (RPE). Whether you walk, jog, bicycle, bench step,
climb stairs or perform low-impact aerobics, your exercise intensity should be
within a range of comfort.
By becoming familiar with the RPE scale, you can continually
assess your exercise intensity and ensure a level of exertion that is
comfortable.
Why use RPE?
Monitoring exercise intensity with the RPE scale is
beneficial because:
1. It provides a double-check on heart rate, especially when
the target heart-rate zone is estimated from age.
2. Assessing RPE can be performed without stopping to
''check'' it, as is necessary with heart-rate monitoring.
3. There is no equipment you can buy to accurately describe
your perception of intensity (whereas heart-rate monitors can be expensive for
accurate pulse count).
An increase in exercise intensity is directly related to
elevation in exercise heart rate and other metabolic processes. Consequently,
RPE can be used alone or together with heart rate when monitoring exercise
intensity.
During aerobic activities, perceived effort is a combination
of sensory input from muscles, joints, breathing rate and heart rate. By using
the RPE scale, you can more accurately ''describe'' your sensation of effort
when exercising and gauge how hard you are working. Plus, RPE helps you evaluate
your internal comfort zone, or ''how you feel'' during the exercise session,
with respect to the normal sensation of exertion, breathing, and even
discomfort.
How many times have you exercised and not felt comfortable, or
seemed to be extending beyond your comfortable exertion level? The use of your
perceived exertion is helpful in monitoring intensity in order to avoid
uncomfortable exercise sessions.
How to use RPE
Perceived exertion is assessed by use of a 0-to-10
chart to rate the feelings caused by your exertion. For example, quietly sitting
in a chair would have a rating of 0. Adding a gentle waving of your arms might
increase the effort rating to 0.5. Walking at a pace that you feel is moderate
would be given a rating of 3.
Remember, the rating of your exertion should be completely
independent of the pace you think you are walking; it is dependent solely on the
feelings caused by the exertion. Increase the pace to a run and add a hill and
you could work your way up to a 10 on the scale.
The recommended RPE range for most people is usually between 3
(moderate) and 5 (strong).
Who uses RPE?
Regardless of fitness or training, anyone can use
perceived exertion to effectively gauge exercise intensity.
Whether you are new to aerobic exercise, or a fitness
enthusiast, use the RPE scale to become familiar with your perception and
description of exercise effort. Using RPE, your exercise sessions will be more
effective and more enjoyable.
A Walk a Day
 The
popularity of walking as a fitness activity is growing by leaps and
bounds. Low risk and easy to start, walking has proved its health
benefits in numerous studies.
An eight-year study of 13,000 people found that those who
walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature death than
those who rarely exercised.
A regular walking program can help:
- Reduce blood cholesterol
- Lower blood pressure
- Increase cardiovascular endurance
- Boost bone strength
- Burn calories and keep weight down
Get ready
A walking program is simple to start. All you need are
comfortable clothes and shoes. Layer loose clothing, keeping in mind that
exercise elevates the body's temperature. Shoes specifically designed for
walking are best.
Every workout should begin with a brief warm-up and a few
simple stretches. Walk around the house or in place for a few minutes to get the
blood flowing to the muscles before you attempt to stretch them. Although
walking primarily works the major muscles of the legs, don't forget to stretch
your back, shoulders and arms. This will help to loosen up any tension you may
be carrying and make your walk more enjoyable as well as more effective.
Get moving
Beginning walkers can make their workouts less
strenuous by limiting how fast and far they walk. Keep in mind the following:
- Walk short distances
Begin with a five-minute stroll and gradually increase your distance.
- Forget about speed
Walk at a comfortable pace. Focus on good posture, keeping your head lifted and
shoulders relaxed.
- Swing your arms naturally
Breathe deeply. If you can't catch your breath, slow down or avoid hills.
- Be sure you can talk while walking
If you can't converse, you are walking too fast.
Get fit!
Walking is one fitness activity that allows you
numerous options. Once you have reached a point where you can walk a few miles
with relative ease, you can start to vary the intensity.
Walking hills, in addition to increasing your cardiovascular
endurance, is a great way to tone the legs. Concentrate on lengthening your
stride or increasing your speed. And don't forget to reward yourself after each
workout with a few minutes of relaxing stretches to help prevent sore muscles.
Listening to lively music while you walk is also a great way
to energize your workout. But if you wear headphones, keep the volume down and
watch out for traffic that you may not hear.
Keep track of your progress. Many experts recommend that you
walk a minimum of 20 minutes a day. But there are no hard and fast rules. Fit
walking into your schedule whenever you can. That may mean two 10-minute walks
each day, or even hour-long walks two to three times a week. The best schedule
is one that keeps you walking and keeps you fit!
Interval Training
Lack of time is the number one reason people give
for not exercising. And lack of results once they do start
exercising isn't far behind. Interval training is a great solution
for both of these common problems.
Interval training involves alternating short bursts of intense
activity with what is called active recovery, which is typically a less-intense
form of the original activity.
The Swedes came up with a term for this type of training:
fartlek, which means speed play. Not only is it an efficient training method,
fartlek training can help you avoid injuries that often accompany non-stop,
repetitive activity, and provides the opportunity to increase your intensity
without burning yourself out in a matter of minutes.
Unlike traditional interval training, fartlek training does
not involve specifically or accurately measured intervals. Instead, intervals
are based according to the needs and perceptions of the participant. In other
words, how you feel determines the length and speed of each interval.
The advantages of intervals
Interval training utilizes the body's two
energy-producing systems: the aerobic and the anaerobic. The aerobic system is
the one that allows you to walk or run for several miles, that uses oxygen to
convert carbohydrates from various sources throughout the body into energy.
The anaerobic system, on the other hand, draws energy from
carbohydrates (in the form of glycogen) stored in the muscles for short bursts
of activity such as sprinting, jumping or lifting heavy objects. This system
does not require oxygen, nor does it provide enough energy for more than the
briefest of activities. And its byproduct, lactic acid, is responsible for that
achy, burning sensation in your muscles that you feel after, say, running up
several flights of stairs.
Interval basics
Interval training allows you to enjoy the benefits of
anaerobic activities without having to endure those burning muscles. In its most
basic form, interval or fartlek training might involve walking for two minutes,
running for two, and alternating this pattern throughout the duration of a
workout.
The intensity (or lack thereof) of each interval is up to how
you feel and what you are trying to achieve. The same is true for the length of
each interval. For example, if it is your habit to walk two miles per day in 30
minutes, you can easily increase the intensity of your walk (as well as up its
calorie-burning potential) by picking up the pace every few minutes and then
returning to your usual speed.
A great trick is to tell yourself that you'll run a particular
distance, from the blue car to the green house on the corner, for example, and
then walk from the green house to the next telephone pole.
When you first start fartlek training, each interval can be a
negotiation with yourself depending on how strong or energetic you happen to
feel during that particular workout. This helps to break up the boredom and
drudgery that often comes from doing the same thing day after day.
A more advanced approach
Despite its simplicity, it also is possible to take a
very scientific approach to interval training, timing both the work and recovery
intervals according to specific goals. The box, lists the four variables to keep
in mind when designing an interval training program.
An ACE-certified personal trainer can help you design an
interval training program based on your particular goals.
Consider the following four variables when designing an
interval training program:
- Intensity (speed) of work interval
- Duration (distance or time) of work interval
- Duration of rest or recovery interval
- Number of repetitions of each interval
Cross Training for Fun and Fitness
 Tired
of the same old workout? Looking for a level of fitness that your current
exercise routine can't offer?
Are you experiencing nagging injuries that just don't seem to
heal? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are a likely candidate
for cross training.
Cross training is simply a way of adding variety to your
exercise program. You can vary your aerobic routine and incorporate some
muscular strength and flexibility training as well.
And if you think cross training is new, think again. Athletes
have been cross training since the days of the Olympic decathlons and
pentathlons of ancient Greece. The past decade has seen the popularity of the
triathlon reach international proportions, introducing the concept of cross
training to even the most recreational athletes.
What's the point?
The benefits of cross training are numerous. It
reduces the risk of injury because the same muscles, bones and joints are not
continuously subjected to the stresses of the same activity.
Cross training also adds variety to your workouts, making your
routine more interesting and easier to stick with. For the athlete, it provides
a break from the rigors and stresses of single-sport training. Cross training
will improve your overall fitness and, over an extended period of time, may
ultimately lead to improved performance.
The nuts and bolts of cross training
Whether you are new to exercise or a competitive
athlete, the essentials of cross training are the same. You can choose to vary
your routine from workout to workout, or simply add a new component within your
existing exercise program.
One of the easiest ways to start cross training is to
alternate between activities - walking one day, swimming or bicycling the next.
Or, you can alternate these activities within a single workout, spending five
minutes on a treadmill, five minutes on a stationary cycle, and so on for a
total of 20 minutes.
More experienced exercisers might begin an hour-long workout
with a 15-minute jog to a nearby pool. After a 20-minute swim and perhaps a few
minutes of calisthenics, they can finish off their workout with a 15-minute jog
back home and several minutes of flexibility exercises.
Get creative with cross training
If you're looking to increase your endurance level,
try alternating low-level aerobic activities, such as 20 minutes of stationary
cycling, with 10 minutes of higher-intensity exercise, such as stair-stepping or
jumping rope. Gradually increase the amount of time you spend on the more
intense activity.
These formulas can be used with just about any type of
activity - as long as you enjoy it. Combining a group of aerobic activities into
one workout at steady or various intensities is an excellent way to fight the
boredom that comes from the same daily workout routine.
All exercise sessions, whether they involve cross training or
not, should begin and end with low-level aerobic exercise and stretching to
effectively warm up and cool down. And remember, it's always a good idea to
check with your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.
Fit Facts are taken from ACE FitnessMatters® magazine. Want more
information like this delivered directly to your home? ACE
FitnessMatters, a bimonthly magazine, is the source for the most
accurate, up-to-date fitness information you need to live a healthy,
active life. Subscribe to ACE FitnessMatters online at
http://www.acefitness.org/fitnessmatters or call 1-800-825-3636.
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American Council on Exercise. All Rights Reserved
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