The Healthy Lifestyle Challenge Fitness Program

For the fitness part of the Healthy Lifestyle Challenge, our participants are working with the Endorphin Junkies team.  They will be doing a 30 min walk/run 3 times per week, as well as a strength and stretch routine 3 times per week (approximately half an hour).  They are expected to do this on their own.  Then once a week, they will attend a group fitness class.

You can easily set up a similar program at home.  And to get you started on the right foot, here is the EJ 16-week Beginner Walking Program.

You will be using the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale to measure how hard you are working.  And the program will increase in difficulty each week until you are walking at maximum effort by week 16.

Using the RPE is easy…no special equipment required and you don’t have to stop to take your heart rate.  But the speed at which you are walking should not be a measure of RPE, it is solely a measure of your feelings of exertion.  A RPE of 5 for you may be RPE 10 for someone else.

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RPE 1-2:   Very easy; you can converse with no effort.

RPE 3:      Easy; you can converse with almost no effort.

RPE 4:      Moderately easy; you can converse comfortably with little effort.

RPE 5:      Moderate; conversation requires some effort.  May start to sweat.

RPE 6:      Moderately hard; conversation requires quite a bit of effort.  More profuse sweating.

RPE 7:       Difficult; conversation requires a lot of effort.

RPE 8:       Very difficult; conversation requires maximum effort.

RPE 9-10:  Peak effort; no-talking zone.

The BC Recreation and Parks Association also has a number of resources to help you get started on a walking program.

You should also be incorporating some kind of strength training 3 times a week.  The EJ trainers have given our Healthy Lifestyle Challenge participants a simple 15-exercise program they can do at home, no special equipment needed.  It’s best to see a personal trainer so he/she can develop a program specific to your physical abilities and goals.  Your local community centre should have BCRPA registered personal trainers.

If you are interested in contacting Endorphin Junkies, they have a special EJ Elements program which incorporates the same testing, coaching and personalized programming our HLC participants are undergoing.

Email them at yourejelements@endorphinjunkies.com