health and wellness

Target Heart Rate 

When it comes to our Aerobic Workouts, we all want to get the most out of those 30 or so minutes on the treadmill, or any other kind of cardio sport we have chosen. We first need to understand the importance of maximizing the benefits of cardiovascular activity by learning how to calculate and exercise within the zone of our targeted heart rate (THR).

Today, using a heart rate monitor has become the easiest way to regularly check your heart rate, but to do this manually, (and you should at least once for better understanding) you can learn a simple method  to check your pulse in order to keep track of your intensity. As a rule of thumb, your (THR) is 60% - 80% of your maximum heart rate (MHR). The Karvonen Method of calculating (THR) is one of the most effective methods of determining target heart rate because it takes into account resting heart rate. Here’s how to find your THR.

How To Find Your (THR)

• First start by finding your resting heart rate as soon as you wake up. You can do this by counting your pulse for one minute while still in bed. You may average your heart rate over three mornings to obtain your average resting heart rate (RHR). Add the three readings together, and divide that number by three to get the RHR. For example:

(76 + 80 + 78) /3 = 78 (RHR)

• Find your maximum heart rate (MHR) with the formula 220 minus your age, like this:

The MHR for a 40 year old, would be 220 - 40 = 180  beats per minute (bpm)

With these figures, an example of a targeted training rate goal would be 70% of 180 (MHR) which is 126 (bpm). Let’s say that a good range for you would them be between 120 - 130 (bpm) which would be your targeted heart rate (THR). This is only a guide, and should be reconsidered if there are any medical conditions in which to take in account. Your doctor can advise you on what’s the safest zone for you.

To ensure you are exercising in a safe zone, you can combine the training target heart rate zone with the talk test. The talk test allows you to gauge yourself during exercise. You should never feel completely breathless and unable to talk, but you should be breathing “somewhat hard.” By staying in your training target heart rate zone, you should be able to achieve the same results with the talk test.

I use to wear my heart rate monitor religiously, until I got so use to recognizing my targeted zone, that many times I just didn’t bother with it anymore - and most people don’t. It became an instinct for me, and I always knew if I wasn’t in it. Once you get a real good understanding of your targeted zone, you will soon be able to monitor yourself without any device or calculations, should you choose. It is, however, vital to learn it well for safety precautions.