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HEART RATE PROGRAMS
The old motto, "no pain, no gain", is a myth that has been overpowered by the benefits of exercising
comfortably. A great deal of this success has been promoted by the use of heart rate monitors. With the
proper use of a heart rate monitor, many people find that their usual choice of exercise intensity was either
too high or too low and exercise is much more enjoyable by maintaining their heart rate in the desired
benefit range.
To determine the benefit range in which you wish to train, you must first determine your Maximum Heart
Rate. This can be accomplished by using the following formula: 220 minus your age. This will give you
the Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) for someone of your age. To determine the effective heart rate range
for specific goals you simply calculate a percentage of your MHR. Your Heart Rate training zone is 50%
to 90% of your maximum heart rate. 60% of your MHR is the recommended for burning fat while 80%
is recommended for strengthening the cardiovascular system. This 60% to 80% is the zone to stay in for
maximum benefit.
For someone who is 40 years old their
target heart rate zone is calculated:
220 – 40 = 180 (maximum heart rate)
180 x .6 = 108 beats per minute (60% of maximum)
180 X .8 = 144 beats per minute (80% of maximum)
So for a 40 year old the training zone would
be 108 to 144 beats per minute.
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