Advanced Integrated Body Conditioning^® Program

The advanced Integrated Body Conditioning^® workout entails prolonged vigorous exercise.

Vigorous exercise is any physical activity done between 77% and 93% of your maximum heart rate, where maximum heart rate is estimated as 220 minus your age in years. Vigorous exercise is also any physical activity done between 60% and 84% of your Heart Rate Reserve (see The Miracle Workout, Chapter 6, to learn how to calculate your Heart Rate Reserve).

If you are a man 45 years of age or older, or a woman 55 years of age or older, see your doctor before you do vigorous exercise. Regardless of your age, before you start the advanced Integrated Body Conditioning^® workout

• complete the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire^* (PAR-Q) and the Symptoms Questionnaire with all "no" answers, and
  
  
• complete the Risk Stratification Questionnaire, check your score with this scorecard, and confirm from the table there that you fall into the "low risk" category.

Unless you meet both of these criteria, get medical clearance from your physician before you exercise.

We also recommend that you complete the Health and Medical History Form for your doctor to review and identify potential risks that may be associated with exercise. Talk with your doctor about any medications or non-food substances you take, and about previous injuries or operations.

Finally we recommend that if you are a man 45 years of age or older, or a woman 55 years of age or older, you get a physician-supervised intensive exercise test before you begin the advanced Integrated Body Conditioning^® workout, and periodically (e.g., yearly) thereafter.

* Source: Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) Copyright © 2002. Reprinted with permission from the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.