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Target Heart Rate

Author: Karen L Skidmore
Date Posted: December 30, 2006

The target heart rate is a very useful training tool in exercise. It helps you to pace your workout so you do not tire before the end. It allows you to measure your fitness progress over time. And lastly, it helps to ensure that you are working out at the most efficient intensity without overtraining. This is important because for your heart and lung endurance to improve you must be working out at the correct intensity for the correct length of time. Your maximum heart rate (MHR or HRmax) is needed to find your target heart rate.

Your MHR is found by subtracting your age from 220.

You must always use good judgment while using the MHR formula. It is based on the average person for that age group. Sometimes you may not fall within the average category. For example, you may be extremely fit or unfit, which would take you away from the average result. Also, there are many variables not taken into account with the MHR formula. The type of equipment used will change the average result. MHR is still a good formula to use, just be smart and check with your physician if you feel your heart rate does not fall within the limits. To use a target heart rate you must measure your pulse periodically throughout your workout. To do this you will take your index and middle finger and feel for your radial pulse found on the thumb side of your wrist. A common mistake is to use your thumb to find your pulse. Your thumb has a pulse running through it so using it will sometimes cause you to miscount your reading.

If this is difficult you can wear a heart rate monitor and let the device track the information for you. In today’s market a majority of the aerobic equipment machines come equipped with built in heart rate monitors. If you do not have access to heart rate monitors and do not want to count your pulse, you can use conversation pace to monitor your activity – it does not require any special equipment and keeps you in tuned to how you feel. Typically if you can carry on a conversation very easy for prolonged periods of time you are not working out hard enough. If, on the other hand, you have to continue to stop and catch your breath you are working out too hard. The downfall of using conversation pace is you can not easily track your progress over time, nor can you completely monitor the safety or effectiveness of your program.

Since your heart rate will be constantly changing it will be necessary for you to have a target heart rate zone instead of focusing on one number. There will be ranges that your heart rate should remain in for the duration of your workout based on your training goals and fitness level. The following zones are general guidelines:

Beginning Healthy Zone or Warm Up – 50 to 60% of maximum heart rate. This zone is for people who are new to exercise. Training at this level will help to burn fat, increase the use of calories and help to lower the risk of certain health concerns. This zone is also used as a warm up for ones wishing to workout at a harder intensity.

Fitness or Energy Efficient Zone – 60 to 70% of maximum heart rate. This zone is an extension of the warm up zone for individuals looking to burn more calories and workout at a higher intensity. It can also be used as a recovery zone when doing bouts of more intense exercise such as in interval training.

Aerobic Zone – 70 to 85% of maximum heart rate. This zone helps to make the cardiovascular and respiratory system work more efficiently together. Working at this intensity will increase the strength and size of your heart capacity.

Anaerobic Zone – 85 to 100% of maximum heart rate. This zone does not utilize oxygen in the working muscles. Therefore work at this level can only be sustained for very short periods of time. Generally athletes perform in this zone to improve the performance of their respective sport. If you were going to incorporate intervals into your workout you would have brief periods of exercise at this intensity.

Use the following formula to calculate your training heart rate zone:

220 - your age = MHR

MHR x the intensity you want to train

Example for a 30 year old female

220 – 30 = 190

190 x .60 = 114

190 x .70 = 133

After her warm up she would need to keep her heart rate between 114 and 133 for the duration of her workout.

If you are wanting to train at a more advanced level a more accurate formula of the MHR and using the Karvonen Formula may be able to give you better results.

One of the biggest benefits of using a target heart rate for beginners is the ability to know how hard you need to work out. Unfit individuals are likely not to exercise because they are afraid they will have to work harder then what their body can handle. As seen by the different training zones that is not the case. Whether you are very fit or unfit you can workout and remain in a comfortable zone and still gain health benefits.

Some blood pressure medications will lower MHR which in turn will lower the target heart rate. Consult your physician before beginning an exercise program of any sort if you take these medications.

All of the numbers found in this article are just averages. Use them wisely.

Bottom line: get yourself moving and have fun!

About The Author

Karen Skidmore, author, NATA certified Athletic Trainer and NCSF certified Personal Trainer owns and operates the Completely Fit Personal Training Company. Visit http://www.completely-fit.com for more information. For more great articles visit http://www.lifetime-fitness-routines.com

Article Source: JKD Street Combat - online collection of Exercise articles.

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