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Back to the November Issue

FitnessU:
Understanding & Reaching Your Optimal Heart Rate

• Heart Rates
• Aerobic Workout
• Running Intervals
• Jog to Music
• Zumba®
• Dancing
• Mix it Up
• Warm Up Routine
• Wii™ Fit
• Interval Training
• Walk on Campus
• Jogging & Muscle Isolations
• Work the Stairs
• Singing and Cardio

Heart Rates

Directions
Find your pulse on the inside of your wrist or neck. To calculate your resting heart rate, count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply by 4 to find your beats per minute (BPM). To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.

Your resting heart rate should be your minimum rate when exercising. You can find your mid-range heart rate by subtracting your minimum rate from your maximum rate. Your optimal heart rate while exercising is between 10 BPM below and above your mid-range rate.

Holding 2-pound weights, alternatively punch out your arms for 10 seconds.Re-calculate your heart rate. It should be close to your mid-range rate.

-Airyn, Visible Music College

Aerobic Workout

Directions
To keep your workout aerobic, perform a high number of reps with light resistance and stack exercises into a circuit. An example would include: Dumbbell squats, good mornings, stability lunges, bicep curls to overhead press, cable chest flies, cable rotations, and hanging leg raises.

• Dumbbell squat: Hold dumbbells in each hand with your arms down. Squat, keeping the weights close to your sides.
• Good morning: Hold a barbell on your shoulders, behind your head. Bend forward, keeping the back straight, until it’s parallel to the ground. Return to the upright position.
• Stability lunge: Lunge with your leading (front) foot on a stability ball.
• Bicep curls to overhead press: Using dumbbells and starting with your arms fully extended, curl your arm upward, bending at the elbow. Lift your arms up and over your head to complete the overhead press.
• Cable chest fly: Using the fly machine, grab one cable handle in each hand. Begin with your arms extended out, parallel to the floor; then bring your arms forward and together in a hugging motion.
• Cable rotation: Hold the cable handle with both hands. Begin with your feet planted perpendicular to the machine so that your body is rotated towards it. Keeping your feet stationary, extend the cables to the other side of your body, rotating your body along with it.
• Hanging leg raise: Hold onto a pull-up bar with both hands. Lift both legs up, bringing your knees to your chest. Lower your legs back to the starting position.
• Rest for two to three minutes and repeat the circuit three or four times.

-Stephen Tamm, West Texas A&M University

Running Intervals

Directions
Walk for one minute, jog for the next minute, and sprint for the final minute. Repeat the interval over 20 to 30 minutes total.
-Maddie Burke, Duke University

More Exercises

Jog to Music

I learned in the Marines that even running in place is amazing for raising your heart rate. The trick is to jog in place. For some reason, people jog around the block but sprint in place. Just jog like you would outside, but don’t move forward. Also, just like when running with a drill instructor's cadence, I like to try to match 1 step with the beat of the music I’m listening to. Sure the songs change beat, but that makes it challenging and fun to see if you can find the beat and keep up with it. Next thing you know, 5-6 songs have gone by that average 3-4 minutes in length and you have run for 15-25 minutes without even thinking about it.
-Clayton A., Austin Community College

Zumba®

Zumba® keeps your heart rate up and is a fun exercise you can do at home. Also, take small study breaks and turn up the radio to an upbeat song. You can also dance as you clean to get your heart rate up.
-Kerri-Anne M., Three Rivers Community College

Dancing

Learn a new dance! Look up dances from music videos on YouTube. You can try dances from various countries, like Bollywood or Korean k-pop. An example I recommend is “Gangnam Style” by PSY from Korea. It's a very catchy tune with an easy dance. Who knows, you may find a new genre of music while learning a dance and keeping fit. Maybe in the spring you can start a flash mob on campus!
-Desiree M., Chaffey College

Mix it Up

Jumping jacks are good, as well as jumping rope (if you have the room). Lunges while carrying books, or using books as substitutions for dumbbells, are also my favorites. If there is a TV available, Zumba® is a great workout. You can borrow a video of it, or Tae Bo, from the library.
-Hannah Brigida I., Hudson Valley Community College

Warm Up Routine

You can do a warm up that includes jumping jacks and pushups. The more you do, the more your heart rate will increase.
-Manuel G., College of the Desert

Wii™ Fit

Using gaming programs, such as Wii™ Fit, can help you maintain fitness when the weather does not allow for being outside.
-Melissa B., Ridgewater College

Interval Training

I find that interval training is the most effective for me. If I am outside, I sprint for a minute and walk for 2 to 3 minutes for about 45 minutes. If I am inside, I work out on my "Gazelle" machine to my favorite album.
-Renee C., Ashford University

Walk on Campus

Walking is good exercise. Students can find an area on campus and walk a set number of miles per day, or walk up and down the stairs instead of using the elevator.
-Rochelle L., Ashford University

Jogging & Muscle Isolations

Jog at an easy pace for 10 minutes. Then focus on simple polymetric exercises, such as jumping jacks. Next, isolate two muscle groups that were used most, to focus on growing those muscles. For example, the calfs. The workout might look like this:

Jog ten minutes, and then do jumping jacks. Do 3 sets of 50 reps.
Do 3 sets of 20 calf raises.
As a cool down, jog around the block.

-Alejandro R., Ohlone College

Work the Stairs

Exercise on your stairs! Do inclined pushups, run up and down the stairs, or even do step-ups.
-Jackie M., College of Southern Idaho

Singing and Cardio

Doing cardio—running, jumping jacks, etc.—is a quick way to exercise. You know you are pushing yourself enough if, when you to try to sing, it’s difficult. If you can sing with ease while doing the exercise, you need to push harder.
-Carly S., The College of Saint Rose

Share your exercise routines during finals.