Find Your Target Heart Rate Zone And Become An Efficient Calorie Burning Machine!
To burn the most calories while exercising, your heart rate must be in your Target Heart Rate Zone. This article provides a chart to quickly determine your optimal pulse rate for burning calories. You'll also find instructions on how to find this pulse rate yourself. If you want to get a good aerobic workout, strengthen your heart and lungs and lose weight, you must bring your heart rate up to 60 to 80 percent of its maximum level, which is known as your target heart rate zone. A heart rate below 60 percent of its maximum is not an aerobic workout and will not help you to get fit or lose weight. A rate above 80 percent of its maximum just isn’t a good idea! Your heart rate (or resting pulse rate) is a measure of your overall physical condition. Simply put, the lower your resting pulse rate, the more efficient your heart is at pumping blood throughout your body. Your heart will not last forever and if it has to work less, it will last longer. Pulse rates vary greatly, but the average runs from 60 beats per minute to a 100 beats per minute. A well-conditioned athlete can have a resting pulse rate as low as 40 beats per minute. The average resting pulse rate for women is between 75 and 90 beats per minute while the average for a man is between 70 and 85 beats per minute. This chart will help you to quickly identify your personal target heart rate zone.
You may have heard about the “fat burning zone” and the “cardio zone” The fat burning zone is closer to 60 percent of your maximum heart rate while the cardio zone is closer to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. I advise you not to worry about staying in a particular zone. Although you burn more fat in the fat burning zone, you burn more calories in the cardio zone, which is most important for weight loss. My recommendation is to keep it simple: determine your target heart rate zone and stay there. How To Find Your Target Heart Rate Zone You can use the chart provided above or use a formula to determine your optimal heart rate levels at both 60% and 80% of your maximum heart rate. 1. Subtract your age from 220. This will give you your maximum heart rate in beats per minute. 2. Multiply that number by .60 to get 60 percent of your maximum heart rate and then by .80 to get 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. 3. This range will give you your target heart rate zoneFor example, Jenny is 30 years old. To determine her maximum heart rate we will: Subtract 30 from 220, which gives us 190 Multiply 190 x .60, which equals 114 Multiply 190 x .80, which gives us 152. While walking, Jenny should ensure that her heart rate is between 114 and 152 beats per minute. Check your heart rate several times throughout your walk to be sure you are staying with in the zone. Beginner walkers should stay close to the lower range of the target heart rate zone until they feel comfortable and ready for a more intense walk. How Do I Check My Pulse Rate? To determine your resting pulse rate or heart rate, take your pulse in the morning when you are the most relaxed. Sit quietly in a chair. You will notice that your resting pulse rate will get lower as you become more fit. You can measure your pulse rate anywhere an artery comes close to your skin, but I recommend the following locations: 1. Lightly place two fingers on the inside of your wrist, just below the base of your thumb. Never use your thumb to take your pulse because it has its own pulse. Count the number of beats for 30 seconds and then multiply by 2 to determine the number of beats per minute. 2. Gently place two fingers on your neck, on either side of your windpipe. This is your carotid artery, which carries blood to your head. Do not press too hard as you could restrict the blood flow to your head, which could cause you to become lightheaded or faint. Count the number of beats for 30 seconds and then multiply by 2 to determine the number of beats per minute.
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