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T
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Program
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A Total Fitness Program is more than exercise and more than eating
right. It is a “fitness for life” plan that goes hand in hand with an overall
healthy lifestyle. This includes regular check-ups and exercise, now and
for the rest of your life.
Your total fitness program consists of three parts:
• Aerobic exercise to burn calories.
• Strength conditioning exercises to tone and shape your muscles,
increase your metabolic rate, and strengthen your bones.
• A diet that is safe, sensible and healthy.
Today, all fitness research recommends both aerobic exercise and
strength conditioning to achieve balanced fitness. By improving your
aerobic fitness you will strengthen your heart and lungs, increase your
stamina and endurance. Strength conditioning adds lean muscle to your
body, increasing your body’s metabolism. In this process, your body burns
more calories, even while you rest. When you combine aerobic workouts
with strength conditioning, as you will with your Gazelle Edge™, you can
burn more fat and calories than with just aerobic exercise alone.
The Gazelle Edge workout will help with the first two parts of your
Total Fitness Program, but you need to make healthy, low-fat eating a big
priority as well.
Consult with your physician
about an eating plan that’s right for
you. Healthy eating habits and exercise will help you reach your goal.
We recommend that you follow dietary guidelines approved by the
U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services. These guidelines are contained in the Food
Guide Pyramid.
Fruit
Group
Vegetable
Group
Bread, Cereal, Rice
& Pasta Group
Fats, Oils,
& Sweets
Meat, Poultry,
Fish, Beans,
Eggs & Nuts
Milk,
Yogurt &
Cheese
KEY
Fat (naturally
occurring and
added)
Sugar
(added)
Starting at the base of the
pyramid, you should strive for
6 - 11 servings a day from the Bread,
Cereal, Rice and Pasta food group.
You should eat 3 - 5 servings a day
from the Vegetable group, and
2 - 4 servings from the Fruit group.
You should also eat 2 - 3 servings a
day from the Milk, Yogurt and
Cheese group, and from the Meat,
Poultry, Fish, Beans, Eggs and Nuts
food group. Lastly, use Fats, Oils
and Sweets sparingly.
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Once the basic Gazelle Edge workout is comfortable for you, interval
training offers the opportunity for greater workout variety, cardiovascular
benefits and increased calorie burning. Interval training means alternating
short periods of higher intensity gliding, with periods of lower intensity
gliding. When you perform the high intensity exercises, you will work at a
level that is at the high end or may exceed your Target Heart Rate Zone.
The lower intensity exercises are at the low end of your Target Heart Rate.
Monitor your heart rate throughout your workout. It will help you
determine the level of exertion that is safe and appropriate for you, and
serve as a good measure of your progress toward improved fitness.
Beginners can use interval training to simply alternate periods of
moderate gliding with rest periods of easy gliding. If you are having
difficulty completing 20 minutes of non-stop gliding, work for 3 or 4
minutes then rest with a very small glide for 1 minute. Repeat this
until your 15 - 20 minutes are complete.
There are three variables that will help you control the intensity of
your Gazelle Edge™ workout and keep your heart rate at a safe and
appropriate level:
• The range of motion of your legs and arms.
A wider glide will be
higher intensity than a small or narrow glide. Gliding with your knees
in a neutral or straight position is easier than gliding with your knees
bent in a low position.
• Your hand position.
A high or low hand grip will allow your arms or
legs to alternately work harder. A neutral or middle hand grip will be
easier than a high grip because the legs and arms will share the
workload evenly.
• The speed at which you glide.
As you glide at faster tempos your effort
will increase. Slowing down the tempo at any time will make your
workout easier.
Cool Down
Towards the end of the aerobic and muscle toning phase of your work-
out, return to a basic glide movement and gradually slow down the range
of motion and tempo. Step off your unit and complete your workout with
some gentle stretches. This allows your heart rate to drop gradually back
toward its normal resting rate.
