Are you getting the most out of your workout?
One way to know for sure is to aim for a target heart rate. A target heart rate is a pre-determined pulse rate that can be used to gauge the intensity and effectiveness of your exercise. Seasoned athletes and beginners can all benefit by knowing their target heart rate.
Learning how to find your target heart rate is simple and can be a great tool to gain cardiovascular strength and endurance.
Start by finding your pulse. You can easily do this by sliding two fingers just under your jaw line. You should discover a pulsation in the area half way between your ear and the center of your neck. You can also find your pulse by turning your hand palm up and placing your index and middle finger on your wrist about an inch from the base of your thumb. Use gentle pressure.
To get an accurate heart rate,
- find your pulse and count the first beat as “0” and then count every beat for one minute. Another option is to count every beat for 30 seconds and then multiply by 2 to find your beats per minute (BPM).
- Start by finding the number of times your heart beats in one minute while you are not engaging in any activities. This is your resting heart rate.
- The average resting heart rate for a normal adult is 60-100 BPM and 40-60 BPM for a seasoned athlete.
- The amount of time it takes for you to recover to your resting heart rate after exercise will improve as you get more physically fit.
Calculate your target heart rate
In order to calculate your target heart rate, you will need to first calculate your maximum heart rate (maxHR). This is an age related measurement. Subtract your age from the number 220. For example, a person who is 35 years old would subtract 35 from 220. This would equal a maximum heart rate of 185 BPM.
5% to 85%
When exercising, a target heart rate should be in the range of 50% to 85% of your maximum heart rate. For the first few weeks of working out, your target heart rate should be aimed near the 50% range. As you gain endurance and strength, you can increase your target heart rate toward 85% of your maximum heart rate.
Calculate Your Target Zones
Calculating your target zones using your maxHR is very simple. To get a target heart rate of 50%, which is on the easier side, just multiply your maxHR by 50%. For example, the maxHR of the 35 year old person was 185 BPM. To get their target heart rate of 50%, you will multiply 185 by .50. Thus the target zone of 50% for a 35 year old would be 92 BPM. Using the same method, the target heart rate of 85% for a 35 year old person would be 185 x .85 = 157 BPM.
Now that you know how to find your pulse and target heart rate, you will be able to determine if your workouts are too light or too strenuous. Your target heart rate is the key to helping you increase cardiovascular strength and endurance and to get the most benefits out of your workout.
This post was based on an article written for the Foothills Sun Gazette.