Whether you are a novice or a well advanced exercise enthusiast, knowing and finding your target heart rate is very important in the advancement of your physical conditioning. When you exercise or simply start moving more, the heart naturally needs to pump more blood to provide oxygen and nutrients to the body. How many times the heart is beating in one minute and just how long you can keep it at that particular level of intensity is a good indicator of what level of physical condition one may be in.

Of course, before knowing your Target Heart Rate (THR) you must be able to find your THR. For the intermediate and advanced athlete, I like the intensity or Target Heart Rate Zone to be between 65% - 85% of one’s maximum heart rate. For the beginner, I would like the THR Zone to between 50% -75% of one’s maximum heart rate. The general rule and most common formula for finding your THR Zone is:

For Men:
220 – your age x 65% (0.65) = This is the low end of his target zone.
220 – your age x 85% (0.85) = This is the high end of his target zone.

For Women:
226 – your age x 65% (0.65) = This is the low end of her target zone.
226 – your age x 85% (0.85) = This is the high end of her target zone.

Example: Here is the math of a 29 year old woman

226-29= 197
197x0.65=128 beats per minute (low end) or;
197x0.85=167 beats per minute (high end)

So the next time she is scheduled to perform her exercise routine she knows that if she trains between 128 and 167 beats each minute then she will get some type of training effect depending on the intensity of her workout.Listed below are the different levels or ZONES of intensity and the different training effects you’ll receive from each:

TRAINING ZONES

Healthy Heart Zone (Warm up) --- 50 - 60% of maximum heart rate: The easiest zone and probably the best zone for people just starting a fitness program. It can also be used as a warm up for more serious walkers. This zone has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury. 85% of calories burned in this zone are fats!

Fitness Zone (Fat Burning) --- 60 - 70% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. The percent of fat calories is still 85%. 20 to 30 minutes at a “steady state”.

Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training) --- 70 - 80% of maximum heart rate: The aerobic zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned, with 50% from fat. 30 to 60 minutes at “steady state pace”.

Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) --- 80 - 90% of maximum heart rate: Benefits of this zone include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardio respiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you'll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat. Interval training type of workout: 30 seconds sprinting and 60 seconds active rest.

Red Line (Maximum Effort) --- 90 - 100% of maximum heart rate: Although this zone burns the highest number of calories, it is very intense. Most people can only stay in this zone for short periods. You should only train in this zone if you are in very good shape and have been cleared by a physician to do so. Again, short periods of intense exercise followed by a short recovery then back on for another bout of intense training.

The easiest way to find and then calculate your heart rate is to feel your heart beating, and that place is the Carotid Artery.

- Place your index finger on the side of your neck between the middle of your collar bone and your jaw line (you may also use the Radial Artery on the underside of the wrist—I like the neck better).

- You can count for 60 seconds; or you can count 6 seconds and then add a zero. Let’s say that you counted 14 beats in a 6 second period, so you would just add a zero to the 14, and that would indicate that your heart was beating 140 beats per minute. Again, personally I like counting in the time duration of 15 seconds then multiple x 4.

Remember that the longer you count the more accurate the reading, that’s why I like the 15 second rule; the 60 second rule is just too long.

So whether you’re heavy into fitness or just starting a fitness regiment, knowing and monitoring the intensity and training effect of the routine is very important in your quest for a healthy heart and great overall physical fitness!

Chip Sigmon CSCS*D
Fitness & Wellness Coordinator
Europa Sports Products