Workouts & Exercises

Workouts and exercises, defined as physical activity.  Planned, structured and repetitive for the purpose of conditioning any part of the body. While often used to improve health and maintain fitness. Generally working up a sweat, breath heavy and increase your heart rate during exercise.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and American Heart Association (AHA) recommend 150 minutes of moderate workouts and exercises for 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity weekly. Also, 10 minutes or more per session, the recommend time intervals.

You can look at this two ways: one is a percentage of your maximal heart rate (220 minus your age) and the other is a metabolic equivalent or MET (the ratio of your working metabolic rate to your resting metabolic rate). Walking at four mph is considered four METs and is about as fast as you can walk without jogging.

Moderate workouts and exercises raise and maintain your heart rate to 50 – 70 percent of your maximal heart rate. For a 40-year-old, this would equate to a heart rate in the 90 – 126 range. (This would be about 3 – 6 METs.)

Vigorous physical activity raises and maintain your heart rate to 70 – 85 percent of your maximal heart rate. That equates to a heart rate in the 126 – 153 range for a 40-year-old. (This is considered greater than 6 METs.)