How do you get your heart rate on target according your age?
When you work out, are you doing excessive or not enough? There’s an easy way to understand: Your target heart rate assists you struck the bull’s eye. “We do not want individuals to over-exercise, and the other extreme is not getting sufficient workout,” says Gerald Fletcher, M.D., a cardiologist and teacher in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Fla.
What You should Know About Your Heart Rate?
Before you learn how to calculate and monitor your target training heart rate, you have to understand your resting heart rate. Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute while it’s at rest. You can check it in the early morning after you’ve had a great night’s sleep and before you rise.
According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate:
- for youngsters 10 years and older, and adults (consisting of senior citizens) is 60 – 100 beats per minute
- for trained professional athletes is 40 – 60 beats per minute.
Hittin’ the Target
Now you’re ready to identify your target training heart rate. As you work out, regularly:
- Take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side.
- Use the pointers of your first two fingers (not your thumb) to push lightly over the capillary on your wrist.
- Count your pulse for 10 seconds and increase by 6 to find your beats per minute. You wish to remain in between 50 percent to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This variety is your target heart rate.
Know Your Numbers (Normal Pulse)
This table shows estimated target heart rates for different ages. Your optimal heart rate is about 220 minus your age.
In the age category closest to yours, read across to find your target heart rate. Heart rate during reasonably intense activities has to do with 50-69 % of your optimum heart rate, whereas heart rate throughout hard physical activity is about 70 % to less than 90% of the maximum heart rate.
Target Heart Rates Chart (by Age)
The figures are averages, so use them as basic guidelines.
| Age | Target HR Zone 50-85% | Average Maximum Heart Rate, 100% |
|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 100-170 beats per minute | 200 beats per minute |
| 30 years | 95-162 beats per minute | 190 beats per minute |
| 35 years | 93-157 beats per minute | 185 beats per minute |
| 40 years | 90-153 beats per minute | 180 beats per minute |
| 45 years | 88-149 beats per minute | 175 beats per minute |
| 50 years | 85-145 beats per minute | 170 beats per minute |
| 55 years | 83-140 beats per minute | 165 beats per minute |
| 60 years | 80-136 beats per minute | 160 beats per minute |
| 65 years | 78-132 beats per minute | 155 beats per minute |
| 70 years | 75-128 beats per minute | 150 beats per minute |
Essential Note: A few hypertension medications lower the optimal heart rate and hence the target zone rate. If you’re taking such medication, call your doctor to find out if you need to make use of a lower target heart rate.
So what’s in a number?
If your heart rate is too high, you’re straining. So slow down. If it’s too low, and the strength feels “light” or “moderate/brisk,” you might wish to press yourself to work out a little harder.
Throughout the first few weeks of working out, aim for the lower ranger of your target zone (50 percent) and gradually build up to the greater range (85 percent). After six months or more, you might have the ability to work out comfortably at up to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.
“It’s not an absolute, but it’s a good device to have,” states Fletcher, who is also an American Heart Association volunteer. “And if you don’t know it, keep in mind, if you’re not able to continue a conversation (while exercising), that may be a bit too much.”
If you have a heart disease or you’re in cardiac rehabilitation, talk to a healthcare professional about what exercises you can participate in, what your target heart rate ought to be and whether you have to be kept an eye on throughout exercise. This will also assist you to pick the kinds of exercise that are proper for your present physical fitness level and health objectives, because some activities are more secure than others.
