I joined a gym a couple of weeks ago...3, actually. And since I did this, my fitness goals have blossomed. All I wanted to do was swim...but then I met with a trainer and she asked me what my fitness goals are. I had to think a lot about that, but I realized that I really just want to be in better shape so that when I get pregnant again it doesn't wreck my body like this time did! Then this morning I took a cardio test. This test required me to wear this oxygen mask so that it could measure how effectively I use oxygen while I'm running. I also wore a heart rate monitor. I started out walking, then the trainer slowly increased the speed until I was at a comfortable running pace. Then she started increasing the incline. She had me to until I couldn't go any longer and then she slowed it back down to walk and measured my recovery heartrate.
What did I learn? I learned that my body is pretty inefficient when running. I mostly burn carbs/sugar, what I want is to burn fat. On this graph I want my black line to be REALLY high in Zone 1...that's the zone where my heartrate is lowest. In zone 1, I should be burning the most fat. And this line should be as high as possible for as long as possible. As I increase zones, my heartrate increases and my body naturally goes from burning fat to burning carbs/sugars. the goal is to burn fats though at higher heartrates. As you can see, I don't even start out burning much fat!
What do I do about it? I have started a 12 week cardio plan. I will be emailed customized workouts according to these test results that are designed to teach my body to be more efficient and learn to burn more fat, especially at a higher heartrate. At the end of the 12 weeks, I take the cardio test again with the mask and all and then we'll compare my results. Stay tuned for that, it should be exciting! I'm hoping that not only does this help me to lose a little weight and get a little more fit, but that I am able to increase my running speed, as well as how long I can go before getting tired. If I can keep this kind of training up, I should be ready for next year's half marathon! This information has given me a renewed energy for running. I was stuck in a rut and had pretty much stopped, but with the possibility of improving my body and my efficiency, I am ready to keep going!
What did I learn? I learned that my body is pretty inefficient when running. I mostly burn carbs/sugar, what I want is to burn fat. On this graph I want my black line to be REALLY high in Zone 1...that's the zone where my heartrate is lowest. In zone 1, I should be burning the most fat. And this line should be as high as possible for as long as possible. As I increase zones, my heartrate increases and my body naturally goes from burning fat to burning carbs/sugars. the goal is to burn fats though at higher heartrates. As you can see, I don't even start out burning much fat! 
What do I do about it? I have started a 12 week cardio plan. I will be emailed customized workouts according to these test results that are designed to teach my body to be more efficient and learn to burn more fat, especially at a higher heartrate. At the end of the 12 weeks, I take the cardio test again with the mask and all and then we'll compare my results. Stay tuned for that, it should be exciting! I'm hoping that not only does this help me to lose a little weight and get a little more fit, but that I am able to increase my running speed, as well as how long I can go before getting tired. If I can keep this kind of training up, I should be ready for next year's half marathon! This information has given me a renewed energy for running. I was stuck in a rut and had pretty much stopped, but with the possibility of improving my body and my efficiency, I am ready to keep going!
That is the coolest test I've ever seen! I wish I could do the same thing, that's great information to have!
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