FREQUENCY
Most experts recommend a combination of a health-conscious diet tailored to your training
goal and physical exercise three to five times a week.
A normal adult needs to exercise twice a week to maintain his/her current condition. To
improve one's condition and lose weight, at least 3 training units weekly are necessary.
PHASES OF TRAINING
Each training session should consist of 3 training phases:
•
"Warm up",
•
"Training" and
•
"Cool down".
During the warm up phase, you slowly increase your body temperature and oxygen intake.
Gymnastic exercises or stretches for 5 to 10 minutes are a good warm up.
The following contains workout instructions with useful stretches for your leg muscles.
After warming up, the actual exercise (training phase) begins. The training intensity should
be low for the first few minutes before increasing to the desired level for a period of 15 to
30 minutes.
After training, a cool down phase is imperative to support your circulation and prevent
sore or pulled muscles.
Cool down, 5 to 10 minutes long, should consist of stretching and steady exercises for at
least 30 seconds and/or light gymnastic exercises.
MOTIVATION
To key to a successful training program is regularity. You should set up a fixed time and
place per training day and prepare mentally for exercise. Only exercise when you are in a
good mood and always keep your eyes on your goal. If you train regularly, you will notice
your development day for day as you approach your training goal bit by bit.
STRETCHING EXERCISES
The stretches illustrated on the following pages are suited both for warming up and cooling
down after training. Please note that during the warm-up phase, stretches should be held
briefly (approx. 5 to 10 seconds) before being released. This increases muscle tension to
prepare your muscles for training.
During cool down, stretches should be held longer (at least 30 seconds) in order to reduce
muscle tension after the strain of exercise.
As a general rule, never take stretching to the extreme.
If you feel any discomfort, release the stretch immediately, and do this stretch with less
intensity in the future.
49