The Best Way To Come Up With Your Target Heart Rate

September 2, 2010 by  
Filed under Fitness

Just how can you come up with your target heart rate? Figuring it out doesn’t have to be all that difficult. The thing you need is a method which will take more than your age into account when figuring out your target heart rate. Here we’ll take a look at an easy way you can come up with this rate.

First, you’ll want to find out your resting heart rate to come up with the target heart rate. Take your heart rate while in bed some morning and then record it on a piece of paper so you remember it. An simple way is to use a wrist heart monitor or other type of heart exercise monitor.

The next thing is to take 220 then subtract from that number your age. This will provide you with your maximum heart rate. Once you have the maximum heart rate, subtract your resting heart rate from this number. After you do that, multiply the result by .60. Then multiply it by .70. Add the result in the morning to both of these numbers. After this, you’ll find that the target heart rate really should be somewhere between those two numbers that you calculated.

This is a simple way to get your target heart rate, and it is quite accurate as well. Of course, there are some other tips that you may keep in mind whenever you’re trying to work inside your target heart rate while working out.

First, just be sure you can talk while you exercise. As you work out, if you are in the target heart rate zone, you should have no issue talking. There should be no pauses when you make an effort to talk. Sure, you will breath more heavily, but if you are not able to speak without pausing then you need to ease up on your workout.

Spending time working out at 80% of your maximum heart rate is something you really should do if you are very fit already. This could give your endurance a bit of a boost. Still, you should continue to remember your target heart rate while doing this.

It is a good idea to undertake strength training along with your heart rate training when you focus on your target heart rate. Why should you do this? Well, when you do several sessions per week, you develop more muscle. More muscle will boost your metabolism. Muscle burns off more calories than fat, so don’t just perform aerobic exercises as part of your workouts.

As you can see, uncovering your target heart rate doesn’t have to be that tough. Calculate this rate and apply it when exercising. Also keep the other tips in mind when you exercise. You may change the way you work out, which will improve your overall fitness.

A wrist heart monitor is amongst the more handy heart rate monitors. It is comfortable and readily available during your workouts to watch your heart rate. You should purchase a style which will deliver the features you need. There are many brands available – Nike, Timex, Polar, Mio, Reebok, Garmin and many more.