BASIC TRAINING WORK OUT FOR MORE ENERGY.

Byline: Jeanette Jenkins

Q: I walk 10 to 30 minutes daily, I drink plenty of water, yet my energy seems low. What can I do to get more energy throughout the day?

-- Damien Henderson,

Los Angeles

A: Thanks for your question. Here's what I recommend:

Duration: I know that you work out for 10 to 30 minutes daily, but you need to work out for at least 20 minutes to be able to get to a steady state and affect your hormonal distribution, which will in turn increase your energy level.

Intensity: You also have to monitor your intensity level to make sure that you are working out hard enough to create a physiological change in your body.

An easy way to monitor your intensity is by measuring your heart rate using the Maximum Heart Rate Formula.

First you need to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are 30 years old, you would subtract your age and end up with 190. This number is your predicted heart rate per minute when you are training at 100 percent intensity. Therefore, your maximum heart rate would be 190 beats per minute.

To make sure that your are going to have a physiological response -- a release of endorphins -- happy hormones that also increase energy production -- you should be walking fast enough that your heart rate is between 65 percent and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. Just multiply your maximum heart rate by .65 to get 65 percent and .80 to get 80 percent.

Using our example: 190 beats per minute X .65 = 124 beats per minute, and 190 beats per minute X .80 = 152 beats per minute.

So my recommended walking intensity level for a 30-year-old person is from 124 bpm to 152 bpm.

Quality of breath: People often don't realize that oxygen is necessary at the site of the muscle cell to burn fat and create constant energy.

Getting sufficient oxygen into your body is critical to helping you work out at a steady state. To help improve the quality of your breath, try to inhale for four to five walking strides and exhale for four to five walking strides.

Fuel: The food that you eat throughout the day will affect your blood sugar level, which will in turn affect your energy levels throughout the day.

To help you maintain a consistent blood sugar level, I recommend you eat meals that contain healthy fat, protein and healthy carbohydrates high in fiber.

Avoid eating meals that are high in sugar or refined flour.

Foods that are high in fiber are fruits and vegetables and whole grains.

An example of a healthy breakfast and lunch that will give you sustained energy is oatmeal with berries and a tuna sandwich on seven grain bread.

Jeanette Jenkins, founder and president of the Hollywood Trainer fitness company (www.the

hollywoodtrainer.com), has a bachelor of science degree in human kinetics from the University of Ottawa. A fitness industry veteran, she has worked with actors and professional athletes, including Queen Latifah, Taryn Manning and Terrell Owens. A resident expert on the Food Network's weight-loss show, ``Weighing In,'' she is also the official spokeswoman for the BET Foundation's ``A Healthy BET Campaign,'' and is one of 17 experts chosen for Nike's Elite Athletes program. Send your fitness and nutrition questions to Jeanette at [e-mail], and check here in coming weeks for the answers.

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