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Developing a
Personal Exercise
Program
Before beginning, you should ask yourself two key questions:
• How much time do I spend today participating in
physical activity?
• What are my goals?
The following steps help you answer the two key questions, get
the most out of your Polar Heart Rate Monitor, and achieve
your personal exercise goals.
1. CLASSIFY YOURSELF BY LEVEL OF ACTIVITY
You may have a clear understanding of your present physical
condition. In this case you can move to the next step to
specify your goals. You can also define the amount of your
physical activity by answering the questionnaire which is
modified from the “Code for Physical Activity” developed by
NASA/Johnson Space Center (Jackson et al. 1990).
The questionnaire is an easy and quick way to define weather
you are a beginner, a moderate exerciser, an active exerciser
or a serious exerciser. It is recommended to review the
questionnaire every 1-2 months and revise if the amount of
your physical activity has changed.
REFERENCES
American College of Sports Medicine. Position Stand. The
Recommended Quantity and Quality of Exercise for Developing
and Maintaining Cardiorespiratory and Muscular Fitness in
Healthy Adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 22: 265-274, 1990.
American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for
Exercise Testing and Prescription. Williams & Wilkins, 1995.
Jackson, A.S., Blair, S.N., Mahar, M.T., Wier, L.T., Ross, R.M. and
Stuteville, J.E. Prediction of functional aerobic capacity without
exercise testing. Med Sci Sports Exerc 22: 863-870, 1990.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity
and Health: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease
Prevention and Health Promotion, 1996, 147.
Tempo manual USA 179120.A 1.10.1998, 11:2414-15
