12 February 2008 - 23:08Exercise Isn’t That Bad

I find myself actually enjoying exercise this time around. Before when I worked out it was to lose weight. This time around I’m working out for health. I want to get stronger. I want to get faster. I wast to rock. And you know what, I am! It’s only been a week, but I can already tell my cardiovascular health is improving. I started off walking and I’m almost up to jogging to keep my heart rate up. It’s so exciting!

And an awesome added benefit. I have SO much energy. I’m happier. I’m peppier. I wake up more easily. OK, that’s not true, it’s still hard to get out of bed, but my morning are better. It really is crazy to see the differences exercise makes.

But here’s a question. I know calorie counter on the machines at the gym are notoriously incorrect so I don’t use those to gauge how much work I’ve done and how many APs I should have. I actually went out and bought myself a heart monitor (which I LOVE!) so I would have an accurate reading of my heart rate and the number of calories I’ve burned. Anyways, now the question. I work out for 30 minutes at 70% to 80% of my max heart rate. According to the website working out in that range is considered high intensity. So with my weight and age, a 30 minute high intensity work out is worth 5 APs. But I’m only burning about 300 calories and I’ve heard one AP is equivalent to 100 calories burned. So, what is my work out worth? Any ideas? Any suggestions?