Know Your Target Heart Rate for Exercise, Lose Weight and Stay Healthy

What should your heart rate be when you train and how can you follow up? Our simple heart rate fitness training will help you stay in the target zone, whether you want to lose weight or simply maximize training or to become a heart rate performance specialist. Find out what resting heart rates and maximums correspond to your age and how exercise intensity and other factors affect heart rate.

How is the heart rate achieved in the target area?

When you exercise, are you doing too much or not enough? There is a simple way to find out: your target heart rate helps you hit the target so you can get the most out of each step, swing or squat. Even if you are not an elite athlete or a gym rat, knowing your heart rate (or pulse) can help you keep track of your health and fitness level.

First things first: resting heart rate

The resting heart rate is the number of times the heart beats per minute when it is resting. A good time to check is in the morning, after a good night's rest, before getting out of bed or drinking the first cup of coffee.

For most of us, normal is between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). The frequency can be altered by factors such as stress, anxiety, hormones, medications and the amount of physical activity you practice. An athlete or a more active person can have a resting heart rate of up to 40 beats per minute. That is amazing!

When it comes to resting heart rate, the lower the better. It usually means that the heart muscle is in good condition and does not have to strain to maintain a stable rhythm. Studies have shown that a higher resting heart rate is related to low physical condition, high blood pressure and greater body weight.

Reach the goal: find out your heart rate

Now that you have a goal, you can control your heart rate to make sure it is in the area. While exercising, periodically check your heart rate. A portable activity tracking device makes it very easy, but if you don't use it, you can also check it manually:

• Take the pulse inside the wrist, by the thumb area.
• Use the tips of the first two fingers (the thumb does not) and press lightly on the artery.
• Count the pulse for 30 seconds and multiply by 2 to get the beats per minute.

Important note: Some drugs and medications affect the heart rate, which means you can have a lower heart rate and lower target area. If you have heart disease or take medication, ask your Heart Rate Performance Specialist provider what your heart rate should be.

What do the figures say?

If your heart rate is too high, you are trying too hard. Smooth the beat. If it is too low and the intensity seems "light" to "moderate," it may be a good idea to try a little harder, especially if you try to lose weight.

If you have just started, try to get the lower range of the target zone (50%) and gradually increase. Over time, you can comfortably exercise at 85% of your maximum heart rate. Bravo!