Training That Hits the Target

During exercise, your heart beats faster to meet the demand for more blood and oxygen to the muscles of your body.  As your activity intensifies, your heart must beat faster.  By monitoring your heart rate while exercising, you can monitor your exercise intensity.  Target heart rate reflects a safe and effective exercise intensity.  It is derived by using a range between 55% / 65% - 90% of your estimated maximum heart rate.
 
Follow the examples below to calculate your estimated maximal heart rate and target heart rate range.

Estimated Maximum Heart Rate
This number is related to your age.  To estimate your maximum heart rate, simply subtract your age from the number 220.
Example: If you are 30 years old, you would subtract 30 from 220.  Your estimated maximum heart rate would be 190 beats per minute (bpm).

Target Heart Rate
This is the number of beats per minute at which your heart should be beating during aerobic exercise.  For most healthy individuals, this range is 55% / 65% - 90% of their estimated maximum heart rate.

Example: If your estimated maximum heart rate is 190 bpm, you would multiply 190 by .55, which equals 105.  Then you multiply 190 by .90, which equals 171.  Therefore, your target heart rate should be between 105 bpm and 171 bpm during aerobic exercise.

How to Monitor your Heart Rate
Monitoring your heart rate can be done easily at one of two sites - your radial pulse at the thumb side of your inner wrist, or the carotid pulse at the side of the neck.  Using the first two fingers of one hand, locate the artery and isolate your pulse.  Count the number of heartbeats in a 10-second period.  Multiply the number of beats by 6 to determine the heart rate in beats per minute.

Example: If you counted 20 beats in 10 seconds, multiply 20 by 6.  Your heart rate is 120 bpm.  Remember, your estimated target heart-rate zone is an estimate.  If you feel like you are exercising too hard, you probably are.  Do not hesitate to reduce your intensity and find a heart rate range that works for you.