The Art of Mastering Exercise Intensity: From a 1-10 Level Motion Scale to a Comprehensive Strength and Stretching Guide

An exercise zone refers to the intensity of exercise at which you can safely achieve your desired results. If your exercise is below this zone, you won't achieve your desired results. If it's above, you might not be able to continue exercising, and more seriously, you might get injured. This zone is generally between 70% and 80% of your maximum capacity and is the optimal intensity for your aerobic exercise. You can use a method of observing exercise intensity. Based on your breathing, use a scale from 1 to 10 to assess your exercise intensity. The optimal exercise zone is between 7 and 8. When you first start exercising, start at an intensity level of 7, and then increase the intensity to level 8 if you feel you can continue to increase it. Level 1 is how you feel when you are resting: no fatigue, and your breathing is not rapid. Level 2 is how you feel when you are getting dressed: no fatigue or very slight fatigue. Level 3 is how you feel when you are slowly walking across a room to turn on the TV: you feel very slight fatigue, and your breathing is slow and natural. Level 4 is how you feel when you are walking slowly outside: your breathing is slightly faster, but comfortable. Level 5 is how you feel when you are walking to a store: you feel slightly fatigued and you can feel your breathing. Level 6 is how you feel when you are late for a date: your breathing deepens, and you can feel it. Level 7 is the feeling of intense exercise: you feel intensely fatigued but are sure you can keep going, your breathing is deep, and you can talk but may not want to. This is the minimum you should maintain during exercise. Level 8 is the feeling of very intense exercise: if you ask yourself if you can continue, you think you can, but you're not 100% sure. This is the intensity that achieves rapid results. Level 9 is the feeling of very, very intense exercise: breathing is difficult, and speaking is hard. You shouldn't reach level 9 in your daily exercise. Level 10 is a level you won't reach; it won't last long and offers no benefit. When doing aerobic exercise, you should strive to keep the intensity within your target heart rate range. If you feel dizzy or lightheaded, stop and rest immediately. We burn body fat through aerobic exercise, while strength training can take your aerobic exercise to a higher level. Strength training, or weight training or weightlifting, increases your muscle mass. This is the primary reason you burn calories. Strength training also strengthens the body, making it function more efficiently. Another often overlooked benefit of strength training is that it combats two of the most complex consequences of aging: muscle loss and bone density loss. Therefore, strength training is important for weight loss, speeding up metabolism, burning fat, increasing muscle mass, and maintaining strong bones and connecting tissues. Many women, especially those who aren't overweight but want to enhance their physique, need to incorporate strength training. Women over 35, even if they don't need to lose weight, should still do some strength training. This is because after age 35, women lose about 1% of their muscle mass each year, and bone density also decreases significantly. Many women are afraid to do strength training, fearing they'll develop large muscles, thinking it's too masculine and lacks femininity. This is a complete misunderstanding of strength training; these worries are entirely unnecessary. If you participate in strength training, your muscles will become firmer, tighter, and more defined – that's your muscle definition. If you're a woman, you don't need to worry about developing the kind of muscles men have; that requires male hormones. Some people worry that if they don't exercise regularly, muscle will turn into fat. This is completely impossible. Muscle cannot turn into fat, and fat cannot turn into muscle. However, if you don't exercise, your muscle mass will shrink. If you also don't pay attention to your diet, consuming more calories than you burn, your fat will increase, and you will gain weight. How to get started with strength training? Generally, you'll work several major muscle groups, such as the biceps (front of the arm), triceps (back of the arm), shoulders, chest, abs, quadriceps, glutes, and calves. Choosing sets, repetitions, and weight is often the most confusing part of training. A. If your goal is to reduce fat: Use a weight that allows you to do 1-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions, resting for 30 seconds to 1 minute. B. If your goal is to build muscle: Use a weight that allows you to do 3 or more sets of 6-8 repetitions, resting for 1-2 minutes. C. If your goal is for health and muscle endurance: Use a weight that allows you to complete 1-3 sets of 12-16 repetitions, resting for 20-30 seconds. Important: Don't train the same muscle groups two days in a row. Warm up with 5-10 minutes of light cardio before strength training. Training should be gradual. After 6 weeks or more of consistent training, you can change your training plan to reach new heights. Always stretch all the muscles you've worked after training. 1. Warm up before stretching. 2. Always stretch all the muscles you've worked after exercise; this helps relieve fatigue. 3. Don't bounce while stretching; maintain the stretched position. 4. Try to hold each stretch for 15-30 seconds. 5. Stretch between sets of weight training.