For many people cardiorespiratory exercise is the biggest chore involved in becoming physically fit.  For others, it is easier -- their life could not succeed or be complete without it.

For either group, proper training is fundamental in making positive progress and continual improvement.

I supervise and instruct proper training using two methods, heart rate monitors (HRM) and rates of perceived exertion (RPE).  The standard method used to calculate the proper training zone using a HRM is 220-age.  This equation can be off by as much as 30 points in either direction.  So, a 45 year old woman might have a maximum heart rate of 175, while another may hold a max HR of 150, and yet another woman might have a heart rate 205.  This makes working "in the zone" for optimal work (of burning fat calories or increasing cardiorespiratory fitness) difficult to calculate.  Under the supervision of an exercise physiologist, like myself, we can safely and accurately find the appropriate zones to exercise.  Therefore, I use a method that combines RPE values of 12-15 with corresponding HR values.

Using this philosophy, I equip all my clients with a Polar heart rate monitor which may be purchased through me.  However, you needn't have a heart rate monitor to do cardio properly.  Simply, "You gotta WORK!"  Sweat! Get that heart rate up.  Effort, effort, effort.  Try anything that will motivate you to get moving! Aerobics, Yoga, Pilates, Tae Bo, kickboxing, riding a bicycle, speed walking, swimming....

this formula works best: 220-age = x, x*75% + 10 = workout zone

in your workout zone for 40-90 minutes (40 minimum), 4-7 (4 minimum) sessions per week