Fit Club: Benefits of P.A.C.E. Workouts

Helps burn calories and fat while strengthening the heart

The latest workout on the Fit Club radar is “P.A.C.E.  PACE is an acronym for Progressively Accelerating Cardiopulmonary Exertion,” said NBC 5 Saran Dunmore while hosting a demonstration outside on the plaza. 

Not only does the workout help burn calories and fat during the workout, but it continues doing so for an hour or two afterwards, said Dunmore. Workouts are targeted to strengthen the heart, making getting back into shape a little easier, she said.

Dunmore plans to put the two people who joined her on Saturday in the plaza through a 4-week P.A.C.E program along with a healthy diet regime. In four weeks, the two people will appear on “Weekend Today” to show off their results.

For those who want to join in the challenge, Dunmore’s suggestions are listed below:

**The following is a suggested workout plan. Before you begin, please consult your physician. It’s especially important to consult your doctor if any of the following apply to you:
• you haven’t had a medical checkup in more than two years.
• you’re over 50.
• you’re more than 25 pounds overweight.
• you have high blood pressure.
• you’ve had a heart attack, rapid heart palpitations, or chest pain after exercise.
• you’re taking heart medication.
• your doctor told you that you angina, fibrillation, tachycardia,an abnormal EKG, a heart murmur, rheumatic heart disease , or other heart problems.
• you have a blood relative who died of a heart attack before age sixty.
• you have asthma, emphysema, or any other lung condition.


Week 1:
Exercise for your heart (and lose weight too!) PACE- 4 days a week(walk, jog, ride a bike, jump on a trampoline,
 jump rope, etc.)
• Exercise for 20 minutes at an intensity of 2. That’s all. (based on a scale of 1-10, 10 being “all out”)
• Eat quality protein with each meal (i.e. eggs, salmon, tuna, poultry, organic milk to name a few)
• Take a multi-vitamin daily

Week 2:
Continue your 20-minute workout 4 days a week (walk, jog, ride a bike, jump on a trampoline, jump rope, etc.)
• This week experiment with increasing and decreasing your intensity levels. Still for only 20 minutes
• Continue to eat protein with every meal

Week 3:
Begin using interval exercise: PACE 4 days a week
• Continue to exercise for only 20 minutes
• Exercise 8 minutes at an intensity of 3 (on a scale of 1-10)
• Rest 4 minutes at an intensity of level 2
• Exercise 8 minutes at an intensity of level 4
• Eat quality carbohydrates (green veggies; spinach, brussels sprouts, asparagus, etc.)

Week 4:
Begin using interval exercise: PACE 4 days a week
• Continue to only exercise for 20 minutes
• Exercise 8 minutes at an intensity of 4 (on a scale of 1-10)
• Rest 4 minutes at an intensity of level 2
• Exercise 8 minutes at an intensity of level 5
• Eat a protein with each meal and also low glycemic vegetables and berries

If you are intermediate-to-advanced you can start week 1 with intervals (and gradually increase your intensity)
• Exercise 1 minute at an intensity of level 5 (on a scale of 1-10)
• Rest 1 minute at an intensity of level 2
• Exercise 4 minutes at an intensity of level 5
• Rest 3 minutes at an intensity of level 2
• Exercise 2 minutes at an intensity of level 6
• Rest 2 minutes at an intensity of level 2
• Exercise 3 minutes at an intensity of level 5

**Feel free to add bodyweight exercises 4 days a week (i.e. squats, lunges, push-ups, planks, pull-ups etc.)

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