Fitness Tips:
Aerobic Exercise and Your Target Heart Rate
Getting
Started | Enjoying
Your Exercise | Exercise
Safety
Target Heart Rate | Progressive
Resistance
Do you have a tendency to “kill yourself”
in your aerobic class, hoping for quicker fitness results?
Try something new — pace yourself…
Aerobic exercise is any constant movement you
perform at a steady pace, at a target heart rate that is appropriate
for your age, fitness level and fitness goals. For maximum
health and weight management benefits, it is recommended that
you perform aerobic exercise for 30 to 60 minutes per day,
3 to 6 days a week.
Getting started
If you are completely new to exercising and
totally out of shape, it’s OK to start slowly. Even
just 5 minutes a day at a relatively low pace will be better
than nothing. Then, gradually build your way up to where you
want to be. Just add a couple of minutes to your daily workout
each week, and then also gradually increase your pace.
As a beginner, only increase one aspect of your
aerobic routine at a time. One week increase the length of
your daily sessions, and the next week increase the pace at
which you work out. As your fitness level advances, you may
try increasing both the duration and intensity of your workout
simultaneously, but even then continue to do so gradually.
To avoid boredom, as well as injury, switch
between different exercises during each session that lasts
longer than 20 minutes. Also, try finding an exercise buddy.
You will both help motivate each other and make the time pass
faster.
To keep a safe pace, you need to be aware of
two concepts: maximum heart rate (MHR),
and target heart rate (THR). (Heart
rate is the number of heart beats per minute.)
How do you calculate your target heart rate?
Never been in love with numbers and math? Don’t
worry, figuring out your MHR and THR is easier than it seems!
To calculate your MHR, subtract your age from
220:
220 minus your
age in years equals your maximum
heart rate
For example, if you are 52 years young,
your MHR is 168 beats per minute (220–52=168).
Your THR is a percentage of your MHR, and differs
based on your fitness level and goal at the moment:
|
THR Calculation
|
Fitness Level and Goal
|
|
50% to 60% MHR
|
THR for beginner level workout and intermediate
or advanced level warm-up
|
|
60% to 70% MHR
|
THR for maximum fat burning benefit
(intermediate & advanced)
|
|
70% to 80% MHR
|
THR for maximum cardio / endurance benefit
(intermediate & advanced)
|
(Higher percentages of MHR are for professional
athletes, and do not apply to “regular mortals”
who just want to get in shape, so we won’t go there.)
For example, let’s assume our 52-year-young
has an intermediate fitness level (is able to work out for
30 to 45 minutes at a time, at 60% MHR or faster). Here are
this person’s THR calculations, based on the medium
value of each range described above:
For warm-up:
55% of 168 = 168 x 0.55 = ab. 92 heart beats per minute
For fat burning:
65% of 168 = 168 x 0.65 = ab. 109 heart beats per minute
For cardio:
75% of 168 = 168 x 0.75 = ab. 126 heart beats per minute
How do you know if you have reached
or exceeded your target heart rate?
You can stop moving every now and then and count
your heart beats for 1 minute, but that would disrupt your
exercise routine. Using a heart rate monitor will be more
precise and streamlined.
If you are using equipment, such as a treadmill
or a ski machine, it often comes with a built-in heart rate
monitor. You can also invest in a monitor you’d wear
on your wrist, this way you can use it as you jog or walk.
WARNING: If
you have difficulty catching breath and answering simple questions
while exercising, you are exceeding your target heart rate
and getting dangerously close to your maximum heart rate.
Slow down!
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Getting
Started | Enjoying
Your Exercise | Exercise
Safety
Target Heart Rate | Progressive
Resistance
|
Fitness Tips