Real-Life Math
You are an exercise physiologist who is currently working in a fitness center. You work with various clients, setting up exercise programs that will suit their fitness goals and needs.
With new members, you determine what their current fitness levels are, where their fitness level should be and what their short- and long-term health goals are.
New members must go through minimal but mandatory testing to ensure they follow a program that is best suited to their current health situation. You think this is an excellent rule. It's one of the reasons you wanted to work for this particular health club. You've seen too many people take on too strenuous an exercise program and either fail at it or hurt themselves.
Today you are working with Sam, a 40-year-old financial analyst who is anxious to get started on an exercise program. He says he's tired and stressed out far too often, and feels much older than his 40 years.
You already met with Sam a week ago. At that session, you went through a weightlifting program to determine which exercises he should do and how much weight he should lift.
Today you will work with Sam on his cardiovascular fitness. He will need to run on the treadmill in order to raise his heart rate. You explain to Sam while he's running that people new to exercising should work out at between 60 and 70 percent of their maximum heart rate (or at a light to moderate intensity range).
Once they've progressed and their fitness level has improved, they can then work out at between 70 and 80 percent of their maximum heart rate (or at a moderate to heavy intensity range).
Sam asks how you determine his maximum heart rate. You explain that it's a basic calculation, albeit an important one.
Maximum heart rate is determined by subtracting your age from 220. That amount is then multiplied by 60 percent, by 70 percent and finally by 80 percent. The results of these equations will give you the range where your heart rate should measure for 1 minute. From there, you can determine if you need to pick up your pace or slow it down.
Sam runs for 15 minutes on the treadmill. Then you ask him to slow down for 1 minute (this acts as a cool down) and then stop. You measure his heart rate for 10 seconds. From this, you will be able to determine his bpm, or how many times his heartbeats in 1 minute.
In 10 seconds, Sam's heart beats 24 times.
You must now determine what Sam's bpm is. Then you'll need to figure out what his heart rate should be if it is to fall into the light to moderate intensity range.
Also, determine what it should be if it was to fall in the moderate to heavy intensity range. That way, he will know how intense his workouts should be right now, and what he needs to shoot for in the future.