Proof Positive
40 Reasons to Excercise - Video
The Attitude of Gratitude
School of Health & Wellness
By Milton G. Crane, M.D. and Barbara G. Crane, R.D. of Weimar Institute
A. General Principles
1. It is safer to exercise than not. Even the most disabled can profit by exercising whatever is left. When there is a cardiac condition, it is wise to get professional counseling.
2. Your goal should be to increase your physical endurance to the optimum level for your health at your age.
3. Exercise so as not to aggravate a joint pain or a heart condition.
4. Exercise should be pleasant and non-competitive. Listening to a taped lecture while walking may not relieve your mental stress.
5. Give yourself varied exercises interspersed with active physical work such as gardening.
6. Exercise in a safe and pleasant environment, preferably in natural surroundings. You may have to exercise with a good dog for your own safety. Also, a walking staff adds safety and stability.
7. Distance is the primary goal; time is secondary.
8. Select a distance that suits you, and hike it 5 to 6 times a week.
9. Increase the distance only when you feel ready.
10. Walk briskly on level earth, or on a hill. Jogging may be part of your program to increase your endurance.
11. Wog" or jog. Wogging means alternate brisk walking with jogging.
12. Wear comfortable, wide, low-heeled shoes with slip-resistant soles. Several good brands are on the market.
13. Pavements may be rough on your joints. Swimming may be better for the obese or those with arthritic bad hips or bad knees, but you have to "work" the large muscles of the legs and thighs to get results.
14. These three guides tell you when you are exercising hard enough.
Degree of breathlessness – barely be able to converse – heart & lung.
Pain – pain in the chest, throat, or arm, or in a joint – heart.
Optimal Pulse Rate – see calculations – general fitness.
15. If there is doubt in your mind as to the safety of exercise for you, secure advice from a health-minded physician.
16. When you trot downhill, be sure to do so carefully. Take short steps, leaning backward a bit, or just walk downhill.
17. One word of caution. ACT YOUR AGE. If there is any doubt about how much exercise you can do, please seek professional help.
B. Use of Pulse Check with Exercise to Increase Endurance
1. Learn how to take your pulse accurately and how to calculate the pulse rate, the number of heartbeats per minute.
2. Exercise physiologists have found that your body responds with an increase in endurance if you perform sufficiently strenuous exercise for 20 to 30 minutes at a time five to six times a week. The pulse rate during exercise and after a one-minute period of rest can be used to guide the degree of exertion with sufficient safety.
3. So-called "maximal exercise" is not wise since a heart with weak reserve might deteriorate. Ideal, "optimal," improvement in body conditioning happens when the pulse rate is 65 to 85 percent of the Maximal Exercise Pulse Rate (MEPR). Use 65% of maximal if you get little or no exercise; 75% if you exercise moderately; 85% if you exercise vigorously regularly.
4. Table of Optimal Heart rate/10-second pulse
count
(80% of usual resting rate. See calculation formula below.)
| Age Range | 10-Second Pulse Count |
| |
|
| 20-29 | 26 |
| 30-39 | 25 |
| 40-49 | 23 |
| 50-59 | 22 |
| 60-69 | 21 |
| 70-79 | 19 |
5. Calculate your 10-second "Optimal Exercise Pulse Rate" as follows:
Maximal Pulse Rate (MEPR) equals 220 / minute
Subtract your age _____ years
Subtract your Resting Pulse Rate (RPR) _____ minute
Take 65%-85% of that _____
Add your RPR _____
Divide by 6 to get your 10-second count _____ = Optimal Rate / 10-Second
6. Ideally, your pulse rate during exercise should be kept near, but not more than, your Optimal Exercise Pulse Rate (OEPR) during roaming, jogging, etc. Stop exercising momentarily, get a 10-second count, and then resume exercising.
C. You Are Ready to Increase Your Speed or Distance Range When: