Do you want to make the most of the 35 minutes you spend on the treadmill or any other cardiovascular activity? To ensure the best effectiveness, you need to train keeping your heart rate in the range called "ideal training heart rate" (or THR, from the English Target Heart Rate). All you need is a calculator and know your heart rate. There are several ways to accurately, quickly and easily estimate your ideal training heart rate, but if you want to get a really accurate result without having to resort to expensive tools, the best thing to do is to use the formula described in the article.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Calculating the Ideal Training Heart Rate with the Karvonen Method
Step 1. Calculate your maximum heart rate (or HRmax or HRmax, from English Maximum Heart Rate)
This is the maximum number of beats your heart can reach in one minute (bpm). To determine this, multiply your age by 0, 7, then subtract the result from 207. The result is far beyond the maximum value reached (or achievable) by most people during a common workout, so there is no point in relying on a heart rate monitor to calculate it.
- For example, if you are 39, you will get 207 - (0, 7) x (39) = 207 - 28 = ~ 180 bpm as maximum heart rate.
- There are many similar formulas, so your doctor or personal trainer may point you to a slightly different result. Avoid the more outdated formula based on the following calculation "220 - your age". It is easy to remember and allows you to get a pretty accurate result quickly and easily, but it is not without error (the variability is around +/- 2-3 beats per minute).
Step 2. Calculate your Resting Heart Rate (or RHR)
The Karvonen method also takes into consideration this second datum, which varies from person to person, and therefore allows to obtain a more reliable result. In the morning, before getting out of bed, measure your heart rate by placing your index and middle fingers on the inside of the wrist of the other hand or, alternatively, on the throat lateral to the trachea. Look at the hands of the clock and count the number of heartbeats in 30 seconds, starting from "zero" to the first beat. Multiply the measured value by 2 to get your resting heart rate in beats per minute (bpm).
- For an even more accurate result, calculate the average of the values measured on three different mornings. For example, if the collected data are 62, 65 and 63 bpm, then the average is equivalent to (62 + 65 + 63) / 3, i.e. 63 bpm as a resting heart rate.
- Smoking, caffeine, stress, heat, hormonal changes and many medications affect the heart rate. Try to minimize these factors as much as possible before taking the measurement.
Step 3. Calculate your heart rate reserve (or HRR, Heart Rate Reserve)
This is the difference between resting heart rate and maximum heart rate. It is called "reserve heart rate" precisely because it determines the extra intensity that the heart can reach in case of need.
- To calculate your heart rate reserve, use the equation HRmax - resting heart rate = heart rate reserve.
- For example, if your maximum heart rate (HRmax) is 180 bpm and your resting heart rate (RHR) is 63 bpm, then your reserve heart rate is equivalent to 180 - 63 = 117 bpm.
Step 4. Calculate your minimum training heart rate
Multiply your reserve heart rate by 0, 5. Running out of heart reserve during normal training is unhealthy. It is best to try to use only a percentage, which you can calculate based on the expected intensity of the exercise. Multiply your reserve heart rate by 0.5 to get the minimum heart rate increase needed for moderate physical activity.
- If your reserve heart rate is 117 bpm, using half of that would mean increasing your heart rate by (117) x (0.5) = 58.5 bpm.
- Add this to your resting heart rate to get your minimum training heart rate. The result you have achieved is the minimum heart rate you will need to achieve during training. This is a good goal for people who have recently started physical activity or who need to recover after suffering an injury.
- Using the example numbers, a resting heart rate of 63 bpm + a minimum necessary heart rate increase of 58.5 bpm = 121.5 bpm minimum training heart rate.
Step 5. Calculate your ideal heart rate for a moderate workout
Replace 0.5 with a larger decimal value to calculate a higher training heart rate. If you have recently started exercising regularly, it would be best to increase the intensity gradually, as your physical condition improves, to a maximum of about 0.7 for a moderate workout. If, on the other hand, you are an experienced athlete and want to determine your ideal heart rate for a vigorous workout, you could start at 0, 7 or higher.
Step 6. Calculate your ideal heart rate for an intense workout
When the intensity of anaerobic exercise reaches extreme levels, you may be using 85% of your heart reserve. To do the calculation, use the equation: (reserve heart rate x 0.85) + resting heart rate = ideal heart rate for a very intense workout.
Part 2 of 2: Using Your Ideal Training Heart Rate to Determine Exercise Intensity
Step 1. Measure your heart rate during a training session
To do this, you should pause without giving yourself time to rest before measuring your heart rate, then resume your workout immediately after 10 seconds. At this point, you can multiply the number of beats measured during the 10 seconds by 6 to get your heart rate per minute (60 seconds).
A more accurate method is to use a heart rate monitor to measure your heart rate directly during exercise
Step 2. Use your ideal training heart rate value to determine exercise intensity
You can use this as a reference point to understand if your pace is low, medium or high. All you have to do is compare the heart rate detected during training with the ideal heart rate. If the value obtained matches or is close to your ideal training heart rate, it means that you are training at an intensity moderate (around 50-70% of your chances). If the value approaches the maximum limit, it means that you are training at an intensity high (about 70-85% of the maximum heart rate sustainable by the cardiovascular system).
- If you have recently started exercising, try to keep your pace low or at most moderate. You will be able to increase the intensity of your workout as your body develops more strength and endurance.
- Also remember that during the warm-up and cool-down phases that precede and follow the exercise, the heart rate should approach the lowest values included in the ideal heart rate.
- While exercising, make sure your heart rate never exceeds the maximum heart rate value.
Step 3. Observe how your body reacts
This formula provides adequate data for most people, but it is not foolproof. Pay attention to the reactions of the body when you reach the heart rate you calculated. If necessary, make corrections based on what you've observed:
- Moderate-intensity exercise should induce mild to moderate sweating and rapid breathing. If you're not used to exercising, you may experience mild muscle pain for a couple of days after exercising.
- High-intensity exercise causes wheezing that forces you to pause to breathe after a few words.
- Stop exercising immediately and call the emergency medical service if you experience difficulty in breathing, chest pain, severe pain in your muscles or joints, excessive sweating, feeling light-headed or extremely tired. In the future, greatly reduce your training heart rate.
Advice
While exercising, you should make sure your heart rate falls within the ideal training heart rate range so that your cardiovascular system can benefit the most
Warnings
- Ideal heart rate is just a general estimate. If you often feel exhausted or run out of energy very quickly, it means that you are trying too hard, so it is best to slow down.
- If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, or are taking any medications that may affect heart function, see your doctor instead of calculating your ideal training heart rate yourself. You can ask him to examine you and help you establish a training program that suits your specific health conditions. Even if you are overweight, over 40, or have not exercised for a long time, it is advisable to involve your doctor before embarking on a new exercise program.
