Many of my readers tell me that they exercise regularly and watch their diet yet they don't loose any weight. Some even say they seem to gain. Often readers believe that it is their age that makes it impossible to loose and get back into shape. This is absolutely wrong. You can improve your health, your heart, your appearance at any age. If you exercise the right way - you will burn calories and loose weight.

The key to achieving your goal is exercising effectively, at the proper intensity and not sabotaging your efforts by eating more calories than you have just burned through exercise.

First identify your goal?

Is it weight maintenance or loss, improving your general health, strengthening your heart, reducing stress, changing your metabolic rate or becoming a better athlete? In each case success depends on exercising in the correct heart zone.

Your heart is your most important muscle.

Like any muscle it needs exercise to work efficiently and stay healthy. The intensity at which you make your heart work increases your heart rate. The maximum heart rate is the fastest your heart can beat in one minute.

The lowest amount of time your heart beats in one minute is called the resting heart rate, your morning wake up rate when you do nothing but breathing. In between these two rates is your correct heart rate zone -- the zone in which you should exercise to reach the benefits you want. In order to define your desired heart zone, start with identifying your own maximum heart rate (max. HR).

Most sports clubs and local YMCA's have a coach or physical fitness trainer that can help you.

Your doctor or health organization can do the test most accurately. It is advisable before starting on a serious exercise program to check with your doctor, especially if you have some health problems. A generally accepted formula to determine your heart rate: Start with the number 210. Deduct 50% of your age minus l.3. Example: Let's say you are 52. 210 minus 26 is184 minus l.3 is 182,5 for your max. HR. This formula turns out to be fairly close to your actual rate.

Now that you have established your max. HR, let us choose the right zone. The top heart rate zones apply mostly to athletes who wish to improve performance and endurance.

The middle and lower zones are used by most individuals to achieve good cardio-vascular results, maintain weight and general health, or loose weight, strengthen the heart, improve bone density, burn fat and lower cholesterol. To maintain your health, your sense of wellness and maintain your current weight you should exercise at least three times a week for a minimum of twenty to thirty minutes. To achieve weight loss and other important health benefits increase both the duration and frequency of exercise.

The heart zones you should primarily focus on are:

Zone l: The healthy heart zone: This is the most comfortable zone and simply walking briskly can get you there. That means you need to exercise at 50% to 60% of your maximum heart rate.

You will burn about 3 to 7 calories per minute. For example, if your max. HR is 180, you would have to exert enough energy so your heart would beat 100 to 82 per minute.

For all of you who want to make a new start, this zone is a perfect beginner's choice. You will definitely feel a new sense of well being, breathe better, think better and feel more alive. It might even energize you enough to go for the next goal.

Zone 2: The temperate zone:

You exercise between the 60% to 70% level of your max HR. You burn about 7 to 12 calories per minute. The treadmill, the bike or stairmaster or extremely brisk walking can get you there.

This is a perfect "fat burning zone" because 85% of the calories burned in this zone are fat. To burn more calories and loose additional pounds you need to increase the time you exercise in this zone.

Zone 3: The aerobic zone:

This is the zone to really improve the function and capacity of your heart and your lungs, increase your muscle mass and build bone calcium so necessary for us boomers. Easy running or a good workout on the treadmill will do it.

Over time you will notice that you can exercise longer before feeling tired. Your are metabolizing both fat and carbohydrates at about the same rate. You burn about 12 to 17 calories per minute. You will notice that you have much more energy in general.

After exercising and then resting a while you will experience both a physical and emotional lift. Exercising in this zone will also assure you to maintain your ideal weight, or even loose pounds, depending on the length of time you exercise, not by stepping up into the next zone.

Zones 4 and 5: The anaerobic and threshold zones are mostly targeted by athletes.

At these levels your heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to supply the muscles sufficiently. Consequently there is no oxygen left which is necessary to burn fat.

Now that you have identified your desired zone, how can you control that you're exercising at the right heart speed?

That's where a heart monitor comes in. Some treadmills or exercise equipment are equipped with heart monitors but they are often inaccurate. A heart monitor is far preferable.

There are many good ones on the market. They range in price from $89 for basic models and up fo professional monitors. We compared several and found the Acumen brand to be effective, simple to use and to be a good value.

We tested the basic and more advanced models, each consisting of a slim chest belt and small wrist watch. Both worked well. Both models warn you by beeping if you're leaving the desired heartbeat zone, either exerting too little effort or exercising too vigorously.

The more advanced model has some additional features which give you a detailed workout report such as time spent in the target zone and calories used.

A monitor is a perfect gift of health for someone you love, including yourself. They are available at most sports shops and through the Internet.

Jacqui

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