slower pace. Running occurs with progression and more speed, and
involves a slightly different gait. Any combination of these activities
is also acceptable, as long as your heart rate doesn’t exceed your max-
imum aerobic level. If you wish, do two or three types of exercise
throughout the week, or even in one workout. For example, you can
walk for 15 minutes, ride a stationary bike for 20 minutes and dance
for 15 minutes. This “cross-training” routine is actually healthier than
doing just one exercise each session.
Anaerobic activities, including any type of weight-lifting, sit-ups,
pushups or activities that raise the heart rate above your maximum
aerobic heart rate are not acceptable substitutes for aerobic exercise.
They shouldn’t be started until after you have developed your aero-
bic system. For the beginner, my recommendation is to wait at least
six months, and for those modifying their program, wait at least three
to four months before performing any anaerobic work.
Tennis, racquetball and similar sports often end up being anaero-
bic for the beginner, because of the type of muscle fibers used and the
high heart rates produced. They’re fun to do, but should be consid-
ered “games” and not exercise unless they’re performed regularly;
e.g., if you walk four times per week, play tennis once a week, or 18
holes of golf once a week. In that case, a proper warm-up and cool-
down is important, as well as regulating aerobic and anaerobic levels.
Once you have progressed through a certain number of weeks
without any problems, you may want to further develop your health
and fitness. The following section is for people who wish to take their
fitness to another level.
Progressive Fitness Programs
To further increase your level of aerobic fitness, you may wish to
spend more time at or just below your maximum aerobic heart rate.
Be sure to pay close attention to your heart-rate monitor to make sure
you are not going over the maximum. If you can’t reach your maxi-
mum aerobic heart rate by walking, you can jog or run, or perform
other activities. Other types of aerobic activity, such as biking, swim-
ming or dancing, can also be used to improve your aerobic fitness. Be
conservative, and begin this phase slowly.
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