364
Part Five Other Aspects of Wellness
Researchers have identifi ed some
factors that help people stick with their
exercise programs. These factors include
written goals, enjoyable activities, a conve-
nient exercise schedule, and knowledge
of personal fi tness level. Consider these
factors as you plan a program for yourself.
Put Fitness Goals in
Writing
Your physical fi tness efforts are
most likely to be effective if you set
some specifi c goals for them. Your
long-term goal may be to achieve and
maintain total fi tness. For most people,
however, trying to fulfi ll such a big
goal would be overwhelming. You need
to break this goal down into smaller,
more manageable goals.
Begin by identifying which compo-
nent of fi tness you want to improve fi rst.
Then think about activities that can help
you improve in that area. Review the
choices of activities presented in 15-13.
Select activities that are of interest to
you. Make a specifi c plan to include
those activities in your weekly routine.
One way to stay focused in your
exercise program is to write down your
fi tness goals. Start with one specifi c and
attainable goal. Your goal might read “I
will improve my cardiovascular fi tness
until my pulse drops to 100 beats
per minute following a three-minute
15-12 For a good cardiorespiratory workout, keep your heart rate in your target zone
when exercising.
210
200
190
180
170
160
150
140
130
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
age in years
heartbeats
per
minute
target heart
rate zone
maximum
heart rate