Ever since I was a little kid I’ve hated running. I knew running was an important part of any post natal exercise program, but, for me, it was how I was punished when I didn’t listen in P.E. class. I would dread those words… “give me three laps around the fields”. I hated running!

I’ve since found the secret to making running enjoyable. What I’ve found is so cool, it’s absolutely revolutionized how I look at running any distance.

In the past, when I ran, I would always end my runs before my legs really felt tired. I had to stop because my lungs felt like they were on fire. I couldn’t seem to get enough air and my heart was pounding through my shirt. I knew I could run further, if I could just get enough oxygen.

That’s when I started using a heart rate monitor. Suddenly I knew exactly where my heart rate needed to be and what kind of pace would get it there, without going over. This changed things for me in a big way. For the first time in my life, I ran until my legs were worn out and I wasn’t hyperventilating.

You can pick up a very high quality Pulsar heart rate monitor for less than $100. That’s less than most people spend on a gym membership each month! The best heart rate monitors will have a plastic sensor that is strapped to your chest. It sends a signal to a watch-like thing you wear on your wrist. With just a twist of your arm you can instantly see how fast your heart is beating.

So, now that you know how to read your heart rate, what should be your target? For most people, they need to shoot for 70-80% of their “maximum heart rate”. If you’re just getting started with your running program, you might want to keep that a bit lower and work your way up.

The quickest and easiest way to find your “maximum heart rate” is to use this formula:

220 - your age

If you’re 30 years old, your maximum heart rate should be approximately 190 beats per minute (bpm). 60-80% of 190 would mean you want to target a heart rate of 114 to 152 bpm. As your training progresses target 80% of your maximum heart rate.

This isn’t the most scientific method for finding your target heart rate, but it will get you very close. Try this the next time you run and you’ll suddenly become one of those people who actually loves running. See you on the track!

If you want to increase the amount of calories you burn each day, you just need to put on 2-4 lbs of lean body mass (muscles).

One of the biggest secrets to finding success in your post natal exercise program is your metabolic rate. If you can increase your metabolism, you can increase the amount of calories you burn each day. Ok, so how do you increase your metabolism?

This is the amazing thing about resistance training or, as you know it, weight training. Don’t get worried about weight training causing you to end up looking like a man. That doesn’t happen to women without some artificial influence (usually steroids).

Men are going to put on muscle faster than us women, because they naturally carry testosterone in their bodies. That’s what keeps you from looking like them, the lack of testosterone.

If you engage in a weight training program today, you should be able to put on an average of 2-4 lbs of lean muscle over 12 weeks. This will translate into a 3 - 7% increase in metabolic rate. Ok, so what’s that mean? That means you’re burning 100 more calories than you did before you started. But, don’t think that you then can eat more or workout less. That will sabotage all the gains you’ve made.