The use of your percieved exersion is helpful in monitoring
intensity in order to avoid uncomfortable exercise sessions. The recommended RPE range for most
people is usually between 3 (moderate) and 5 (strong).I don't think that, if asked, any woman in college today could honestly say that being in college is a relaxing experience. I have found that as I have progressed through college, my stress level has also progressed. As a freshman, I didn't think that I could possibly handle anything more, but adaption is a wonderful thing!! Now as a senior, I am nostalgic for freshman year and all of the extra time I did have, but did not realize.
Exercise has been a fixture in my life since before college and I really became to appreciate the benefits of exercise since being in college. People who regularly exercise will tell you that they feel better. There are four ways that exercise controls stress:
It has actually been documented that, following an exercise session, there is a decrease in the electrical activity of tensed muscles. What does this mean?? People are less jittery and hyperactive after exercise.
One exercise session generates 90 to 120 minutes of relaxation response. This may be due to endorphins released from the brain. Endorphins are termed "mood enhancers" because they increase relaxation. Exercise is a quick and easy way to get your brain to release endorphins.
The human body is a fascinating thing. To feel muscles working and your body moving is an accomplishment to be proud of. That feeling of accomplishment increases self-worth and also decreases stress.
People who exercise regularly tend to eat more nutritious foods. Food is fuel for your body and if you want your body to perform, good nutrition needs to be practiced. If you make the effort to improve your health by exercising, it would irrational not to want to increase the benefits through proper nutrition.
With all of that said and done, here is the lowdown on how to build a healthy exercise program to achieve the benefits that you want.
A well-rounded exercise program is not made up of one main focus, but is a sum of a few different parts. Endurance+Strength +Flexibility provide a way to achieve all of the benefits that exercise has to offer.
Many people when they think of exercise, they think of endurance activities such as walking,
running, swimming, etc. The current recommendation for endurance exercise is at least three bouts of continous
rhythmic activity per week. You don't need to be huffing and puffing during a workout in
order to classify it as endurance. You should exercise at a comfortable pace for you, not
for the man on the treadmill next to you or the woman on the step next to yours in a class. One of
the easiest ways to determine your intensity level without math, is to
The use of your percieved exersion is helpful in monitoring
intensity in order to avoid uncomfortable exercise sessions. The recommended RPE range for most
people is usually between 3 (moderate) and 5 (strong).
An increase in exercise intensity is directly related to elevation in exercise heart rate and elevation of metabolism. Therefore, the higher the intensity of your workout, the more you increase your metabolism, which can lead to weight loss. Here is a partial list of some endurance activities and the average calories burned per mintue by a 160 lbs. person:
| Activity | Calories/min. |
| Cycling (10 mph) | 7.3 |
| Dancing (aerobic) | 3.7 |
| Jogging | 12.4 |
| Running | 15.1 |
| Skating | 7.9 |
| Skiing (water and downhill) | 7.6 |
| Swimming (crawl, moderate pace) | 10.3 |
| Walking | 8.7 |
| Weight Training | 8.7 |
One of the most affective ways to increase strength is to weight train. Unfortunately, many women are afraid to get bulky muscles. On the contrary, by weight training with light weights at high repitions, muscles become lean and defined, rather than bulky. Men and women are built differently. (No kidding, huh??) Our bodies respond to exercise in different ways, based on our genetics. On average, women can only gain 4-5 lbs. of muscle before reaching a plateau. Of course there are exceptions to this, but more research is showing that the female body may be unable to NATURALLY gain more than a few pounds of muscle.
Each new pound of lean muscle may raise your metabolism by 50 calories a day. That means that the more muscle you have, the more fat gets burned, even when you aren't running on the treadmill or taking a kickboxing class. Whereas endurance exercise increases metabolism for a short time afterwards, weight training has a more-longterm metabolic effect. Plus, it feels great knowing that you are a strong, healthy woman rather than a thinner, weaker version. Another added bonus to weight training will come in handy later on in life. Weight-bearing exercises increase bone density, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis as we age.
| Exercise | How To | Repitions |
| Squats | Plant feet shoulder width apart, with knees slightly bent. Hold 3 - 5lbs. weights on shoulders or at sides. Slowly lower until thigh is perpindicualer to the ground; do not let knees extend past toes. Return to starting position. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Hamstring Curls | Lie on your stomach with your chin resting on your arms. Put your let toe on your right heel; curl legs up and down. Repreat on the other leg. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Hip Lifts | Lie on the floor on your back, with heels rest on a chair; knees should be at a 45 degree angle. Press heels into the chair; lift torso and make a straight line from your shoulders to heels. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Heel Raises | Stand on a raised platform, with heels hanging slightly off the back; maintain balance by holding onto a chair. This can also be done by hanging the heel off of a step or stair. Starting with the right heel, lift and lower. As you lift, pull abs in and keep butt tucked in for balance. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| One-arm Rows | Place left knee on a bench. Bend at the waist and place left hand also on the bench. In the right hand, have a 3 - 5lbs. weight. Lift the weight until you form a 90 degree angle. Lower. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Preacher Curls | Sit on a chair and let your chest rest on a pillow. Have 3 - 5lbs. weights in each hand. Curl the weights to shoulder height. Lower. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Overhead Presses | Sit in a chair with 3 - 5lbs. weights in each hand. Push the weights above and slightly in front of the head. Lower. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Chest Presses | Lie on your back on a mat. Have 3 - 5lbs. weights in each hand. Raise and lower weights, keeping elbows slightly bent at the top of the move. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Triceps Dips | Start by sitting in a chair, with hands on either side. Lower off of the chair by bending the elbows until upper arms are almost level with shoulders. Raise up but don't return to sitting. | Start with one set of 12, working up to three sets of 15 in 6 weeks. |
| Ab Curls | Lie on your back on a mat. Lift legs up to a 90 degree angle. Pull rib cage to hips, lifting head neck and shoulder blades off of the ground and curling hips into the floor. | Begin with 1 set of 25 and work up to 3 sets of 50. |
Delayed muscle soreness signals a natural adaptive process that the body initiates following intense exercise. It manifests 24 to 48 hours after working out and decreses after 72 hours. Once you induce delayed onset muscle soreness at a specific exercise intensity, you shouldn't experience that sensation again until you increase your intensity. To prevent muscle soreness, gradually increase intensity. Beginning with light exercise may also prevent soreness. Beginners should work with light weights 2 - 3 times per week, then gradually build.
Flexibility can be arguably the most neglected aspect of a workout. The benefits of flexibility include:
There has been an on-going debate as to when the best time to strech is: before or after exercising?? The current trend is that you should warm up for a few minutes, stretch, exercise, and then stretch again. Spend at least 5 - 10 minutes warming up before exercising and stretching.
Start each stretch slowly, exhaling as you gently stretch the muscle. Try to hold each
stretch for 10 - 30 seconds. Don't bounce a stretch!!
You are liable to injure yourself that way. Also, if a stretch starts to hurt, ease up.
Don't hold your breath!!
Now that you know what is needed for an exercise program, how the heck are you going to find the time in a crazy shedule to do all of it?? It is easy with a little thought and planning. And I think you will be surprised: by scheduling exercise into each day, it is easier to manage other aspects of your time as well.
If you have later classes in the day, set your alarm clock 30 - 60 minutes earlier. If you are
worried that you will be losing out on already scarce sleep, you probably won't be; exercise tends
to make you fall asleep easier so you will be able to fall asleep earlier and feel refreshed in the morning.
Go out for a
By scheduling a definite time into your planner for some sort of exercise means that you will be more likely to stick with it. Recruit a friend to make it a more enjoyable and social experience. Also, investigate intrmural sports offered at your college. Some people (myself included) believe that treadmills, stairmasters, etc. are spawns of the devils to increase bordeom and reduce the exercise that we participate in. Many colleges offer flag football, rugby, softball, baseball, crew, and soccer teams, which are also a great way to meet new people.
If there are days that you are double-booked and have absolutely no free time to even sitdown, let
alone go to an aerobics class, then there are other ways to increase your physical activity.
Remember: you don't have to go an aerobic workout everyday. Actually, it would be detrimental to workout vigorously each day. Instead, cross-train for balanced results. Here is a sample of how to develop a good weekly workout schedule:
| Day | Exercise | Duration |
| Monday | Aerobics class | 30 - 60 minutes |
| Tuesday | Weight Training | 20 - 40 minutes |
| Wednesday | Jogging | 20 - 40 minutes |
| Thursday | Weight Training | 20 - 40 minutes |
| Friday | Swimming | 20 - 40 minutes |
| Saturday | Aerobics class | 30 - 60 minutes |
| Sunday | Rest |
As you begin to exercise, eventually you will stop making the gains that you had
been making. At that point, an increase in intensity or duration will assure that you continue to
make progress in you exercise program.
Click here for some inspiration!!
Back��Home��Next