Find Your Target Heart Rate Zone

Knowing your Target Heart Rate Zone will allow you to burn the most calories while exercising.

The Target Heart Rate Chart provided below will help you to quickly identify your personal target heart rate zone. To determine your heart rate while exercising, read these easy tips on how to calculate your target heart rate.

You'll also learn about the different zones that are important for fitness and weight loss.

Target Heart Rate Chart

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.

If you’re just beginning to exercise, keep your heart rate at the lower end, near 50 to 65% of its maximum. As you begin to feel comfortable exercising within this range, you can slowly intensify your workout so that your heart beat falls into the upper range of your zone, near 75 to 80%.

What is the best Target Heart Rate Zone?

Warm-Up Zone – When your pulse rate stays within 50 to 60% of its maximum. This is the recommended range for those who are just beginning to exercise, especially because there is a low risk of injury.

You can expect to reduce your body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also reduces the risk of degenerative diseases. Eighty percent of the calories burned in this stage are from your body’s fat stores.

Fat Burning Zone - When your heart rate is 60 to 70% of its maximum level. Here you’ll be walking faster and exerting yourself more. You’ll still enjoy all of the benefits of the warm-up zone, yet burning more calories. The amount of fat calories burned is 65 to 80%

Cardio Zone – In this level, your heart rate is 70 to 80% of its maximum. You will strengthen your cardiovascular system and burn more calories than the previous two zones, although only 50% come from fasts. Here, you’ll burn more muscle than in the other zones, which is good for fat burning.

So, which is best? Truthfully, all three are important for weight loss and fitness. It is important to warm-up for five to ten minutes to prepare your body for exercise. And both the Fat Burning and Cardio Zones are also equally important.

Unless you really push yourself, you’ll most likely stay in the Fat Burning Zone. It’s okay to stay there for most of your workout. But it is important to get your heart rate into the Cardio Zone as well.

These bursts of increased intensity, which lead to a quicker heart beat, are great for burning more calories in a shorter time period.

For some great ideas on how to reach the Cardio Zone, try interval walking, which can really help you intensify your walking in a fun, challenging way.

Knowing your target heart rate zone will help you monitor your walking to ensure you are burning calories and giving your heart a great workout.

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