How active do you need to be?

How active is active enough?  Her's the good news, you can do a lot in 20-30 minutes, 2 or 3 times per week.  I would say that's the minimum you need for your cardio.  It should not be a walk in the park, lolly-gagging along smelling the flowers.  You need to move and work your heart.  As always, you need to see a doctor before starting any exercise program.  If you are taking any medications that regulate your blood pressure or heart rate then you need to ask your doctor what a good working heart rate is for you.

There is a formula that gives you a general idea what your working heart rate range is but I like to go by perceived exertion.  Please feel free to use a heart rate monitor along with perceived exertion.  There is actually a scale for trainers to use.  Here's my version of it:

Level 1:   No effort, lounging on the couch or resting.

Level 2:   Very comfortable - can maintain all day.

Level 3:   Still comfortable, breathing a little harder, can carry on a conversation easily, 

                can go for hours.

Level 4:   Sweating a little, feel good, can talk easily but breathing harder.

Level 5:   Just above comfortable, sweating, can still talk but have to breathe after each sentence.

Level 6:   Slightly breathless, can still talk but have to breathe every 5-6 words.

Level 7:   Just below max effort, sweating heavily, breathing hard, have to breathe 

                after 3-4 words

Level 8:   Very strong +1, have to breather after every other word, can maintain 5-15 minutes.

Level 9:   Hard - have to breathe every 1-2 words, can maintain 2-5 minutes.

Level 10:  Extreme Max - can't talk, can maintain for only 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Pay attention to how hard you are breathing and how you feel.  You can feel good and be breathing hard.  Make sure you warm up for 5 minutes.  Everyone is different, some people may have a much higher working heart rate than others.  I can go hard for 1 hour at a heart rate of 170-176.  My husband would explode at that heart rate, his working heart rate is in the 150's.  That's why the perceived exertion works for most people. 

Ok, with all that said - Don't Be A Baby!!!  What I mean by that is, unless told otherwise by your doctor, it is ok to breathe hard and even get out of breath.  You don't have to work so hard you are totally out of breath but you do need to work your heart.  You should be working in the 4-7 range most of the time.  Depending on your goals you don't necessarily have to get up to the 8-10 range.  When I teach spin class I tell everyone what they should be feeling as far as breathing goes.  After a hard climb or high intensity I tell them they should be breathing harder and can't say a full sentence without having to take a breath.  There is always a few that immediately start talking as though they were at lunch.  If they can talk that easily they are not working hard enough.  Again it depends on your goals but don't be afraid to breathe harder.  You will surprise yourself what you can do if you put your mind to it, it's usually more than you initially thought you could.  Sometimes I think I've given it my all and I've got no more to give.  I tell myself not to stop and see where it takes me.  It will take you to the next level and it's very empowering to realize that you could do more than you thought.

Don't get discouraged if you initially tired after starting your cardio program.  It's normal and will not last forever.  After 2-3 weeks you will feel energized and your initial workout will be so much easier for you.  You'll feel like you could go longer and harder and still feel strong.

Here is the best part, besides the weight loss that will come with it, the powerful, strong, energized feeling will flow over to other aspects of your life.  You will figure out that you are in control of many things you didn't think you could control.  I have one client that is 75 and have worked with her for over 5 years, twice a week for 30 minutes each session.  After 3 or 4 weeks she could not believe how strong she felt and how much more energy she had.  She told me that it changed her outlook and positively influenced all other aspects of it.  You realize not only how good you feel but that you can accomplish anything you put your mind to.

Many people don't realize how bad they feel on a day to day basis.  Sleep, stress, food all affect our energy levels.  Most people don't realize how good they can feel every day.  I can tell big time if I don't get enough sleep or I make bad food choices.  Specially eating bad choices.  I feel tired, sluggish and I don't have the energy, speed, endurance I usually do.  I know if I eat ice cream on Thursday, my workout on Friday is going to suffer some.  Depends on how much and how often.  Since I can tell the difference and don't like to feel sluggish on a regular basis it's one of the things hat motivates me to make better choices.  I still eat junk food some times but I keep it smaller quantities and not as often.  Trust me, if I want to eat something I do, i just realize what the consequences are.

I think I'm making it sound easier than it is.  It's all a process and it evolves as you do.  Once step at a time.  Rome wasn't built in a day.  Perfect topic for my next post.  How to make changes you can live with and not overwhelm yourself.  It can be done.

Enjoy your life, it's the only one you have.