Whether you are just starting out on a fitness routine or you are a seasoned athlete determined to go further, faster, and harder, wearing a heart rate monitor takes the guesswork out of your training. Heart rate provides a precise gauge of your exertion, so you can reap the maximum fitness benefits. In this article, we will show you how to calculate your maximum heart rate and how this rate can be used towards your unique fitness goals.
Calculating Maximum Heart Rate. To determine your maximum heart rate (MHR), simply take 220 and subtract your age from it. Your MHR is the largest number of beats per minute your heart will reach when you are exerting maximum effort during a workout. Once you know this number, you can check your heart rate monitor to determine whether it’s time to dial back your pace or to step it up a notch.
Beginners. Beginners should aim to stay between 65% and 75% of the MHR. To determine your Target Zone, simply multiply your MRH by 0.65 and 0.75. Staying within these percentages is important when just starting out because it ensures you are burning enough calories without pushing yourself so hard that your body can no longer meet its demand for oxygen. As you reach a new fitness level, you can push into a higher range.
Intermediate and Advanced. For a higher intensity workout, you can working out within a range of 70% to 90% of your MHR, can help enhance your endurance and performance. (Multiply your MHR by 0.7 and 0.9 for this Target Zone.) This Target Zone increases the amount oxygen you can consume during exercise, ultimately improving your endurance and helping you to better fight fatigue.
Resting Heart Rate. If you are looking for a clear indication that all your effort is paying off, compare your resting heart rate before you started your new workout routine and after a few weeks into your training. Regular cardio improves your heart strength and allows it to pump more blood with each beat, increasing your heart efficiency. The average person has a resting heart rate between 60 and 90 beats a minute. The more you exercise, the lower this number will be and with athletic training it could drop by 10 to 20 beats per minute.
No matter your current fitness level, using a heart rate monitor will help you see fitness results sooner. With the Health Gauge you can monitor your heart rate effortlessly – no calculations needed – so that you are always achieving the next goal on your health journey. Health Gauge also monitors your blood pressure and oxygen saturation to give a comprehensive understanding of your health. Health Gauge then analyses your data to give meaningful suggestions on how you can make improvements in your lifestyle habits to reach your goals.