The Importance of How Exercise Affects Your HR

The Importance of How Exercise Affects Your HR
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Why Your HR Is Important During Exercise

How does exercise affect your HR? Your heart rate can be used to measure the intensity of your exercise. By doing this you can figure if your exercise is intense enough for you to reach fitness goals. This measurement is called a target heart rate, also known as THR. Your THR is easy to measure and is very precise.

If you are training below your target zone, you may never burn enough calories or improve your cardiovascular fitness. There is also a level where your exercise is considered too intense. This is called anaerobically, meaning without oxygen, which can also be useless to your fitness goals.

Your target heart rate is measure between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. This level depends on your fitness level and how hard you can workout. So a beginner should have a THR in a low ranger where a person on a more advanced level will have a THR that is in a higher range.

Here is a chart for determining you intensity level:

  • Beginners or people with a low fitness level: 50% to 60%
  • Intermediate or people with an average fitness level: 60% to 70%
  • Advanced or people with a high fitness level: 75% to 85%

You also need to figure out your maximal heart rate. This is an easy method to use because the formula is easy to remember. It does not take in account for fitness level or medical conditions.

Maximal Heart Rate Formula

  • MHR = 220 - age in years

Now plug in the number to find your THR. Example, for a 25 year old with an average fitness level of 60%.

  • 220 - 25 = 195 (MHR)
  • 195 x .6 = 117 beats per minute
  • 117 bpm = THR

How to Use Your THR Information

Once you figure what your target heart rate is, you know the range you need to keep your heart rate around while exercising. While you are exercising, check your heart rate to check your intensity level. You can do this by checking your pulse after five minutes of cardiovascular exercise.

The easiest way to do this without interrupting your exercise it to do a quick six second check. After six seconds, take that number and multiply it by ten, this is your heart rate in beats per minute. If you are in the right range, keep on moving. If not, you may need to increase or decrease your speed and check your heart rate again in a few minutes.

An easier way to keep a check on your heart rate is with a heart rate monitor watch. The watch has a monitor on the underside and keeps a constant track of your heart. Even though these watches can be pricey, they are worth it. So, how does exercise affect your HR? Or should the question really be, how does your HR affect your exercise?

References

Physical Activity Line: How to Calculate Your Target Heart Rate - www.physicalactivityline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=100:how-to-calculate-your-target-heart-rate&catid=49:general&Itemid=62

Health Style Fitness: Heart Rate - https://www.briancalkins.com/HeartRate.htm