STRETCH FIRST
Before using your product, it is best to take a few minutes to do a few gentle stretching exercises. Stretching
prior to exercise will improve flexibility and reduce chances of exercise related injury. Ease into each of these
stretches with a slow gentle motion. Do not stretch to the point of pain. Make sure not to bounce while doing
these stretches.
1. STANDING CALVE MUSCLE STRETCH
Stand near a wall with the toes of your left foot about 18" from the wall, and
the right foot about 12" behind the other foot. Lean forward, pushing against
the wall with your palms. Keep your heels flat and hold this position for a
count of 15 seconds. Make sure that you do not bounce while stretching.
Repeat on the other side.
2. STANDING QUADRICEPS STRETCH
Using a wall to provide balance, grasp your left ankle
with your left hand and hold your foot against the back
of your thigh for 15 seconds. Repeat with your right
ankle and hand.
3. SITTING HAMSTRING & LOWER BACK MUSCLE STRETCH
Sit on the floor with your legs together and straight out in front of you. Do
not lock your knees. Extend your fingers towards your toes and hold for a
count of 15 seconds. Make sure that you do not bounce while stretching. Sit
upright again. Repeat one time.
STRETCHING
WARM UP
The first 2 to 5 minutes of a workout should be devoted to warming up. The warm-up will limber your
muscles and prepare them for more strenuous exercise. Make sure that you warm-up on your product at a
slow pace. The warm up should gradually bring your heart rate into your Target Heart Rate Zone.
COOL DOWN
Never stop exercising suddenly! A cool-down period of 3-5 minutes allows your heart to readjust to the
decreased demand. Make sure that your cool down period consists of a very slow pace to allow your heart
rate to lower. After the cool-down, repeat the stretching exercises listed above to loosen and relax your
muscles.
An important step in developing a long term fitness program is to determine your goals. Is your primary
goal for exercising to lose weight? Improve muscle? Reduce stress? Prepare for the spring racing schedule?
Knowing what your goals are will help you develop a more successful exercise program. Below are some
common exercise goals:
• Weight Loss - lower intensity, longer duration workouts
• Improve Body Shape and Tone - interval workouts, alternate between hi and low intensities
• Increased Energy Level - more frequent daily workouts
• Improved Sports Performance - high intensity workouts
• Improved Cardiovascular Endurance - moderate intensity, longer duration workouts
If possible try to define your personal goals in precise, measurable terms, and then put your goals in writing.
The more specific you can be, the easier it will be to track your progress. If your goals are long term, divide
them up into monthly and weekly segments. Longer term goals can lose some of the immediate motivation
benefits. Short term goals are easier to achieve. Your console provides you with several readouts that can
be used to record your progress. You can track Distance, Calories or Time.
KEEPING AN EXERCISE DAIRY
To make your personal exercise log book, photocopy the weekly and monthly log sheets, which are located
on the following pages, or you can print them off of your computer by going to:
www.horizonfitness.com/guides/weeklylog.pdf
www.horizonfitness.com/guides/monthlylog.pdf
As your fitness improves, you can look back and see how far you’ve come!
THE IMPORTANCE OF WARM UP & COOL DOWN
ACHIEVING YOUR FITNESS GOALS
