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We’re all busy, so how can you make the most of the time you do have to fit in some exercise? Get in your zone.
The intensity of exercise can best be described as the workload it places on the cardiorespiratory system during a workout. The primary way to judge exercise intensity is to see how high your heart rate is during activity. You can estimate your appropriate exercise intensity by calculating a target heart rate (THR) zone.
The THR zone is the range of heart rate values that are high enough to cause a training effect (you begin to see and feel results), yet low enough to allow you to exercise long enough to achieve the total work needed for a training effect to occur.
The American College of Sports Medicine (2000) recommends an intensity range of between 55 to 90 percent of maximum heart rate. The threshold needed to achieve a training effect is lower for people who are very sedentary (50 to 65 percent of maximum cardiorespiratory function) compared to the very fit (85 to 90 percent of maximum cardiorespiratory function).
The first step in calculating THR is to estimate your maximum heart rate using the following formula:
220 – age (years) = age-adjusted maximum heart rate
Example: For a 50 year-old person,
220 – 50 = 170 beats per minute
The second step is to calculate the THR zone:
65 percent maximum heart rate = low end of the THR zone
Example: 65 percent of 170 beats per minute = 110 beats per minute
For you: .65 x ___ beats per minute = ___ beats per minute
85 percent maximum heart rate = high end of the THR zone
Example: 85 percent of 170 beats per minute = 145 beats per minute
For you: .85 x ___ beats per minute = ___ beats per minute
Within five seconds after stopping exercise, count the pulse rate at your neck or wrist (below the thumb area) for 10 seconds. Heart rate decreases rapidly after exercise is stopped so you must monitor it quickly to gauge your exercise heart rate. Multiply the 10-second heart rate value by six to calculate the heart rate in beats per minute.
In the above example of the 50 year-old person, a 10 second pulse count should result in a number that when multiplied by 6 equals between 110 and 145 beats per minute. This will more effectively ensure that he or she is working out within their target zone to achieve the desired training effect and the results that improved fitness offers.
Get in to the habit of taking your pulse each time you exercise, especially if you are new to exercise. It is important to note that gauging exercise intensity using heart rate is a guideline and one of several methods to determine exercise intensity. You should always use your best judgment to gauge your own exertion level and modify your workout accordingly if it feels too challenging or not challenging enough.
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