How To Monitor Your Exercise Intensity

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Q. Glen, How Can I Chart my Exercise Intensity?


A. To get the most out of exercise, you should monitor your intensity throughout your workout. This will insure that you are working within your heart rate training zone, thus getting an effective workout without killing yourself. Working too hard could lead to injury and burnout while not working hard enough can lead to frustration when you don't see results. Below are some simple ways to monitor your exercise intensity.

What is Target Heart Rate?

Most of you have probably heard about target heart rate zone. THR describes the pulse rate (in beats per minute) that allows you to exercise safely while getting the maximum benefits from your workout. This range is usually between 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. You can calculate target heart rate with any number of formulas:

• Karvonen - heart rate reserve calculated by using age and resting heart rate
• Steven's Creek THR Formula - this online calculator involves different max heart rates according to gender and fitness level, which makes the results a bit more accurate
• Online calculators - if you're math-phobic, like me, use an online calculator to do the work for you

Keep in mind that the results from THR formulas are just guidelines. If you follow your THR zone and realize you're either working way too hard or not hard enough, you'll know to adjust those numbers to fit how you're feeling. It's great to use THR along with the talk test (see below) to find out how you feel at different heart rates.

Take Your Pulse

Place your index and middle fingers directly under your ear, then slide your fingers down until they are directly under your jawbone, pressing lightly. Start with zero on the first beat and count for 10 seconds then multiply by six (this is an approximation of your heart rate in beats per minute). Check your pulse frequently throughout your workout to make sure you are within your target heart rate zone.

Use a Heart Rate Monitor

Using a heart rate monitor makes it easy to keep up with your exercise intensity. HRM's range anywhere from $50 to $300, offering a variety of options whether you're a beginner or advanced athlete. Most use a chest strap to get heart rate info and some offer added features such as calories burned and time spent in target heart rate zone.

Take the Talk Test

You should be able to carry on a conversation during your workout. If you are breathless, or can't talk, you're working too hard. Also, keep in mind that dizziness and lightheadedness is not a good sign. If you experience this, you are overexerting yourself and should stop. One easy way to monitor yourself is by using a Perceived Exertion Scale. This is a scale of 1-10 for describing how hard you're working, 1 being extremely easy and 10 being extremely hard. You typically want to bet at at least 5 during your workouts. You can also use the more official Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion which assigns level of intensity from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (maximal exertion).

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."


Yours in good health

Any questions?

Ask Glen!

Wake Up to the Importance of Exercise

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Q.Glen, Does Exercising have anything to do with my sleeping patterns?


A. Yes, Working Out Improves Sleep Patterns

You stayed up late last night to finish a project, woke up groggy only to realize that you’d slept through the alarm clock, skipped breakfast, then almost fell asleep in the middle of an important morning meeting. It’s now mid-afternoon and, as you’re having yet another cup of coffee to stifle yet another yawn, you realize you’re seemingly sleep walking through your days.

You’re not the only one. Nightly sleep for the average American has dropped from 10 hours (before the invention of the lightbulb) to 6.9 hours, with a third of adults now getting even less than that! In fact, nearly half of all adults admit they sleep less so they can work (or play) more, according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). Although most experts agree that the average adult needs eight hours, most of us have burned our candle at both ends.

But how do you get off this "sleep deficit" merry-go-round? It's easy to say, "get more sleep" but what if you're simply spending frustrating hours tossing and turning, and having trouble finding deep slumber?

First, it’s important to be aware that sleep is not a passive activity. Healthy sleep is every bit as valuable to your overall well-being as exercise and good nutrition. Research shows that a lack of deep sleep (as opposed to irregular or fragmented sleep) undermines the body's ability to fight off disease. Perpetual sleepiness can reduce the quality and quantity of your work by a third, according to the NSF. In fact, if you’re sleep-deprived you’re likely to have higher concentrations of sugar in your blood, which could contribute to development of a pre-diabetic condition.

If you’re having major problems in your sleep life, you probably should consult a doctor. But for most of us who are having trouble sleeping, there’s a simple cure: exercise. Working out regularly has been shown to reduce episodes of insomnia. What’s more, it promotes improved sleep quality by producing smoother, more regular transitions between the cycles and phases of sleep.

Moderate exercise lasting 20 to 30 minutes three or four times a week generally results in better sleep and more energy. You may have to find your own exercise rhythm-– some people can exercise any time, while others do better if they work out in the morning or afternoon, not near bedtime. But, vigorous exercise during the day and mild exercise before bedtime will not only help you fall asleep and stay asleep more easily, but will increase the amount of time you spend in deepest sleep phase (Stage 4 sleep).

In fact, in a study on sleep patterns of adults aged 55 to 75 who were sedentary and troubled by insomnia, exercise was shown to play a key role. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine asked these adults to exercise 20 to 30 minutes every other day in the afternoon by walking, engaging in low-impact aerobics, and riding a stationary bicycle. The result? Time required to fall asleep was reduced by half, and total sleep time increased by almost one hour.

What’s more, exercise offers many other mental benefits:

• Reduces stress by helping to dissipate the lactic acid that accumulates in your blood
• Sharpens your brain by increasing the amount of oxygen available
• Eases built-up muscular tension
• Strengthens and stimulates your heart and lungs
• Stimulates your nervous system
• Increases your production of endorphins— those little substances which create a sense of well-being and increase your body's resistance to pain
• Stimulates release of epinephrine, a hormone that creates a sense of happiness and excitement
• Increases deep sleep, as the brain compensates for physical stress

Shakespeare didn’t know about sleep studies when he wrote about "sleep that knits up the raveled sleeve of care," but it seems he did know one thing—there’s nothing better than a good night’s sleep!

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."


Yours in good health

Any questions?

Ask Glen!

Help others while you help yourself

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Q. Glen, I Need Motivation To Get Fit! any Suggestions?


A. Find the motivation you need to get fit by helping others. There are many charity events held all over the country year-round that combine running, walking, cycling and other exercises to raising money for a particular cause. Fitness charity events can help boost your motivation, get fit, find like-minded comrades and give you the push you need to accomplish your goal. It's hard to find a good excuse to skip a workout when you know your training is making an impact on not only your own life, but also the lives of others




Glen's Bottom Line: Get Motivated Get Involved!



Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program.

Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health

Any questions?
Ask Glen!

Commit to Get Fit!

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Q. Glen, I Need to Have a Contract to Exercise! How Can I Commit to Get Fit?

A. Have you ever noticed when you truly decide to do something, you become relentless about it and pursue it at all costs until you attain it? Maybe you wanted to get a college degree or buy a certain car or travel to a particular place. To decide in Latin (desidre) means to cut off, or to not accept any other outcome except to succeed.

If you are stuck in a non-exercise rut it means you have no power. You know you should exercise but unless you get the momentum going, your commitment has no energy and neither do you. Commitment is your foundation to change. It's the difference between knowing and doing.

The definition of commitment according to Webster's Dictionary is an agreement or pledge to do something in the future; b: the state or an instance of being obligated or emotionally impelled. Commitment therefore is your foundation to transformation. So how can you go from knowing to doing? Here are 10 ways.

1. Project into the future and visualize how you will look and feel in three months if continue on the path you are on right now. Then visualize in detail how you will look and feel in three months if you begin a regular exercise program today. Keep the future in the front of your mind.

2. Figure out what matters most to you. If you truly want to have a fit body, cut out thoughts of the old you. The past does not equal the future. You can only affect the present decisions you make. Your body is an amazing organism that responds to both positive and negative stimulus (exercise or sedentary lifestyle) every day. The choice is completely yours. Exercise is not something anyone can do for you.

3. Have commitment in areas that matter the most. If your health and fitness are a priority to you, keep you exercise appointments the same way you would keep a doctors appointment or a parent teacher conference. Know you are worth the 20 to 60 minutes you take for exercise. Keep fitness high on your priority list.

4. Catch yourself before you steer away. For example, if you miss one workout, don’t make it two. Immediately plan to get in your next exercise session regardless of life’s events. You will feel so much better if you do, versus the guilt you will carry around if you don’t exercise. When two missed sessions becomes three, the weeks then become months, making it more challenging to build momentum again.

5. Look for evidence that your workouts are working. Notice that you are moving better, posture is improved, you are feeling less bloated, pants are getting loose, energy is up, metabolism is kicking in and you are attaining a firmer, fitter more defined body. Continue to reinforce the positive results by engaging in regular exercise.

6. No matter how far “gone” you feel, get up and get moving! It doesn’t matter that you have not exercised in weeks, months or years or that you had three slices of pizza and chocolate cake for dinner last night. What matters is that every day you have a new opportunity to make improvements in your body. It’s never too late. Even at 90 years old, you can build muscle and get stronger.

7. Commit without judgment. This is not a race or a competition. This is your life. Do your very best each workout and each meal. Discipline is an important success building component. Just the fact that you are getting up and exercising even if some days are not as intense as others is both important and effective.

8. Be true to yourself about your lack of commitment. You are only fooling yourself if you are justifying missed exercise sessions. You make the decision to exercise (or not to) emotionally and then justify it logically. Of course your life is full and demanding, but wouldn’t you be better able to handle all of life’s events in a fit and strong body?

9. When you miss an exercise session, it affects other people! I’ll say that again!!! When you miss an exercise session, it affects other people. When you don’t exercise, the rest of your day, you have guilt on your shoulders. You will then feel guilty or even angry with yourself. Since your mind can only hold one thought at a time, that anger and guilt reflect your actions throughout your day. Maybe your husband, child or co-worker gets to feel or see the end result of your not exercising. Maybe it comes out at the drive-thru or in a bar after work. On the other hand, performing your exercise routine can have very positive effects on your entire day and everyone in it.

10. Missing your workout creates darkness in your life. That darkness expands, disempowers and grows. It disempowers you and pushes your energy down. Some people get so far pushed down that they need medication. Coming back to your senses and getting your body moving is always the positive way to turn your body and life around.

You have options to live your life in the present or in a story filled with excuses as to why you are not where you want to be physically. Exercise moves you closer to leading a fulfilled life. Get unstuck today!

Shift your vision to being a person who exercises regularly and feels great most all of the time. Get rid of the blame and the fault and become the cause rather than the effect of your life. Choose to express your good genes and be responsible for your own body.

Life is a conscious choice or an unconscious accident. Bring your commitment to the conscious level. Remember that what you resist persists. Commitment is a matter of choice. Practice, practice, practice. Change how you view exercise and focus on the outcomes and what exercise can bring to your life. When you want to quit, stay! It builds character and will help your body and life transform. Commitment to exercise is a practice. Share it with someone and help them get fit, too.

Any personal health questions or problems mental or physical or before starting any diet or exercise program. Please consult your physician !

My mission is to provide you with "Trusted Advice for a Healthier Life."

Yours in good health

Any questions?

Ask Glen!