Measuring Heart Rate

Measure the pulse at the neck and wrist. The pulse rate (which in most people is identical to the heart rate) can be measured at any point on the body where an artery's pulsation is transmitted to the surface.

NOTE: The thumb should never be used for measuring another person's heart rate, as its strong pulse may interfere with discriminating the site of pulsation, and you may count the thumb's pulse accidentally when measuring. (Of course, this is a non-issue when measuring your own pulse).

Maximum Heart Rate

Maximum heart rate is the highest number of times your heart can contract in one minute, or the heart rate that a person could achieve during maximal physical exertion. It is not the maximum one should obtain often during exercise. MHR is used as a base number to calculate target heart rate for exercise. The heart beats about 60 to 80 times a minute when we're at rest. Resting heart rate usually rises with age, and it's generally lower in physically fit people. Resting heart rate is used to determine one's training target heart rate.

Conducting a maximal exercise test can require expensive equipment. If you are just beginning an exercise regimen, you should only perform this test in the presence of medical staff due to risks associated with high heart rates. Instead, people typically use a formula to estimate their individual Maximum Heart Rate. The most common formula encountered is:

 

 

HRmax = 220 − age (caution: can vary significantly!)       220 - ___________ = ___________

                                                                                                    your age             HRmax

Recovery Heart Rate

This is the heart rate measured at a fixed (or reference) period after ceasing activity; typically measured over a 1 minute period.

Target Heart Rate

Target heart rate (THR), or training heart rate, is a desired range of heart rate reached during aerobic exercise which enables one's heart and lungs to receive the most benefit from a workout. This theoretical range varies based on one's physical condition, age, and previous training. Below are two ways to calculate one's Target Heart Rate. In each of these methods, there is an element called "intensity" which is expressed as a percentage. THR can be calculated by using a range of 50%–85% intensity. However, it is crucial one have an accurate MHR calculation first to ensure these calculations are meaningful.

Inside each zone, there are different exercise changes which occur as the result of spending training time "in the zone".   Let's go through each one briefly so you know why you want to train in the different zones.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Heart Rate Zones


Zone 1: HEALTHY HEART ZONE 
50%-60% of your individual Max HR

HRmax _________ x 50% = __________

HRmax _________ x 60% = __________

 

This is the safest, most comfortable zone, reached by walking briskly. Here you strengthen your heart and improve muscle mass while you reduce body fat, cholesterol, blood pressure, and your risk for degenerative disease. You get healthier in this zone, but not more fit -- that is, it won't increase your endurance or strength but it will increase your health.

If you're out of shape, have heart problems, or simply want to safeguard your heart without working too hard, spend most of your training time here. It's also the zone for warming up and cooling down before and after more vigorous zones.

 


Zone 2: TEMPERATE ZONE:
60% to 70% of your individual Max HR

HRmax _________ x 60% = __________

HRmax _________ x 70% = __________

 

It's easily reached by jogging slowly. While still a relatively low level of effort, this zone starts training your body to increase the rate of fat release from the cells to the muscles for fuel.

Some people call this the "fat burning zone" because up to 85 % of the total calories burned in this zone are fat calories which is equally as important.

Fit and unfit people burn fat differently. The more fit you are, the more effectively you use fat to maintain a healthy weight. On the other hand, perhaps you've been exercising vigorously, but not losing the weight you expected to. Could be you've been working too hard and need to drop back to this zone and exercise longer. To burn more total calories you'll need to exercise for more time in this zone.

 


Zone 3: THE AEROBIC ZONE:
70%-80% or your individual Max HR

HRmax _________ x 70% = __________

HRmax _________ x 80% = __________

 


In this zone -- reached by running easily as an example -- you improve your functional capacity. The number and size of your blood vessels actually increase, you step up your lung capacity and respiratory rate, and your heart increases in size and strength so you can exercise longer before becoming fatigued. You're still metabolizing fats and carbohydrates at about a 50-50 rate which means both are burning at the same ratio.



 


Zone 4: ANAEROBIC THRESHOLD ZONE
80%-90% of your individual Max HR

HRmax _________ x 80% = __________

HRmax _________ x 90% = __________

 


This zone is reached by going hard -- running faster. Here you get faster and fitter, increasing your heart rate as you cross from aerobic to anaerobic training. At this point, your heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to supply the exercising muscles fully so they respond by continuing to contract anaerobically.

This is where you "feel the burn." You can stay in this zone for a limited amount of time, usually not more than an hour. That's because the muscle just cannot sustain working anaerobically (this means without sufficient oxygen) without fatiguing. The working muscles protect themselves from overwork by not being able to maintain the intensity level.


Zone 5: THE REDLINE ZONE
90% to 100% of your individual Max HR.

HRmax _________ x 90% = __________

HRmax ________ x 100% = __________

 

 

This is the equivalent of running all out and is used mostly as an "interval" training regiment -- exertion done only in short to intermediate length bursts. Even world-class athletes can stay n this zone for only a few minutes at a time. It's not a zone most people will select for exercise since working out here hurts and there is an increased potential for injury.