Working out can be complicated. There are so many things to consider. For example:
- Cardio vs. Weights
- Ideal Target Heart Rate Zones
- Weight Resistance vs. Body Resistance
- Appropriate Weight Resistance
- When To Workout
- What to Workout
To name a few.
Right now I’m going to go over Target Heart Rate Zones – what’s better for us ladies with PCOS and with that touch on what sort of exercise works best for achieving our goals.
We’re going to forget about the numbers and percentages to simplify things for us a bit!
The Zones:
- Fat Burning (Lose Weight)
- Cardio (Improve Fitness)
- Peak (Maximize Performance)
We want to work within both the Fat Burning Zone and the Cardio Zone. If you’re new to exercise definitely focus more on the Fat Burning Zone in the beginning eventually working up to a combination of both. For the sake of this article we will be looking at what most are probably interested in – the Fat Burning Zone.
What Happens When We Target This Zone
When we target this zone we are working within a low-medium intensity exercise zone. It is known as the Fat Burning Zone due to the higher percentage of calories burned from fat when you’re in this zone – but keep in mind the total calories being burned in this zone is lower than if you were working within the Cardio or Peak Zones. But let’s face it: this is a zone we need to most likely spend some good time in!
How Do We Target This Zone
Lucky for us this is the easiest to target – especially if we’re not huge into working out and doing cardio or if you’re a beginner. A slight warm-up to get the blood pumping is the ideal way to start (ie. some jumping jacks, jog for 30-60 seconds, skip for 30 seconds etc.). From here exercises that use body weight or appropriate weights are great for working in this zone.
Here are some key points to know you’re working in this zone:
- Your heart rate is elevated but not giving you that pounding through your chest feeling
- Consider the difference between a jog, run, and sprint. A jog is burning fat, a full run will put you in the cardio zone, and a sprint is a way to achieve the peak zone. Think of this if you’re using weights – use weights that add resistance not weights that have you wanting to be done in 3 reps
- Body resistance exercises are a safe way to go (ie. your squats, planks, push ups, yoga etc.).
- If you’re sweating – that’s ok. Sweating doesn’t necessarily mean you’re now working in the cardio zone. In fact, aim to get a bit of a sweat going
For some more information and real numbers check out the image below:
Later on I’ll cover working out in the Cardio Zone.
PCOS Journey 