Knowing how hard you need to work out helps you achieve your goals faster. It also guarantees that you don’t overwork your body, making exercise dangerous. Working out in a specific heart rate zone will assist ensure a safe and successful session.
Cardiovascular exercise’s effectiveness is dependent on its frequency, intensity, and duration. You know how often and for how long you exercise, but you need to know your heart rate to estimate your intensity. Learn more about each of the five heart rate zones and how to incorporate them into your cardio routines.
What Is the Definition of Heart Rate?
The number of beats your heart makes each minute is referred to as your heart rate. Your heart rate is always changing depending on what you are doing. It changes in reaction to physical activity as well as mental stimuli such as excitement or worry.
Resting Heart Rate
The number of beats per minute completed by your heart when you are entirely at rest is known as your resting heart rate (RHR). It is the lowest rate at which your heart normally beats while you are not active. This rate should be monitored while you are resting (sitting or lying down), with no emotional or physical stimuli influencing it. An adult’s resting heart rate is typically between 60-100 beats per minute (bpm).
Maximum Heart Rate
Maximum heart rate (MHR) is the fastest pace at which your heart can beat. One method to determine MHR is to take 220 and subtract your age (so if you are 45 years old, your MHR is 175). This, however, is only a prediction, and your real maximum heart rate is likely to be different.
Target Heart Rate
The target heart rate is the speed at which you want your heart rate to be while exercising. It helps to express how hard you’re working. Your goal heart rate estimate is only a guess, but it offers you an indication of how hard you work during exercise. Your goal heart rate will be determined by your present fitness level and age, so it will fluctuate as your cardiovascular endurance improves or as you age.
How to Determine Your Ideal Heart Rate
This calculator estimates your MHR using a simple age-graded method. The chart below then multiplies it by your selected percentage to display several desired heart rate zones.
Formula for Maximum Heart Rate 206.9 – (0.67 x age)
This and other MHR prediction equations are being studied because they tend to underestimate the MHR in adults above the age of 30. That is, if you are over the age of 30, you may find it more accurate to utilize +11/-11 departure from the number as a more acceptable range.
So, if you are 35 years old and have a maximum heart rate of 183 (as determined above), your estimate would be between 172 and 194. Women and older people may have a somewhat greater maximal heart rate.
Some fitness trackers or smartwatches automatically assess your resting heart rate and then recommend and measure your desired heart rate based on that data. The producer of these devices can quickly upgrade them to meet the latest research-backed zones, which is an advantage of utilizing them to find your target heart rate.
Heart Rate Table
This table aids in determining your heart rate in five different exercise intensity zones. Select your age to get your predicted MHR zone and the range of BPM (beats per minute) in each zone: low intensity, moderate intensity, aerobic zone, vigorous intensity and maximum Intensity.
| Age | Low Intensity (57-63%) | Moderate Intensity (64-76%) | Aerobic Zone (70-80%) | Vigorous Intensity (77-95%) | Maximum Intensity (96-100%) |
| 25 | 95-114 | 114-134 | 133-152 | 143-162 | 190 |
| 35 | 92-110 | 110-128 | 128-147 | 128-156 | 183 |
| 45 | 88-106 | 106-124 | 124-141 | 133-150 | 177 |
| 55 | 95-102 | 102-119 | 119-136 | 128-145 | 170 |
| 65 | 82-98 | 98-114 | 114-131 | 123-139 | 163 |
| 75 | 78-94 | 94-110 | 110-125 | 117-133 | 157 |
Heart Rate Zones and Workouts
If you are going to utilize heart rate zone training, you can alternate between moderate and vigorous activity on different days. Exercising in different heart rate (HR) zones provides distinct fitness benefits. You will feel a different amount of exertion in each zone.
Zone of Low Intensity
You are in the low-intensity zone if you are working at 57% to 63% of your maximal heart rate. This level of exercise can help relieve stress and lessen the health hazards linked with sedentary living. Low-intensity exercise can enhance your mood, lower your blood pressure, increase your endurance, and is great for your cardiovascular health.
If you are recovering from a more hard workout, training in this zone is beneficial. Many types of flexibility and strength workouts are also low-intensity, but they are still important for your muscles and overall health.
Low-Intensity Exercise Possibilities
- Yoga (particularly restorative or Hatha yoga)
- Pilates
- Training for mobility and flexibility
- Walking (2.0 to 2.9 miles per hour)
Zone of Moderate Intensity
Moderate-intensity training is done at a heart rate of 64% to 76% of your maximum. This degree of activity is often recommended for increasing fitness and burning calories for weight loss. Target exercising within the moderate intensity zone for up to 30 minutes per day, five days per week, for a total of 150 minutes per week for health and fitness advantages.
For extra advantages, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans prescribe up to 300 minutes (5 hours) per week. Moderate-intensity exercise promotes oxygen delivery throughout the body, which benefits heart function.
Options for Moderate-Intensity Exercise
- brisk strolling
- Strengthening exercises
- Cycling and Swimming (under 10 miles per hour)
- Jogging
Zone of High Intensity
You’re working out at 77% to 95% of your maximal heart rate in the vigorous-intensity zone. According to the physical activity standards, 75 minutes of intense activity each week is recommended. You can also engage in moderate to intense movement for up to 150 minutes, which will be simpler to sustain and recover from.
This zone encourages your body to develop its circulatory system by forming new blood vessels and enhancing heart and lung capacity. Exercising at the upper end of this range (84% MHR or higher) increases the amount of oxygen you can ingest (VO2 max).
This amount of exertion pushes you to the point where your body starts producing lactic acid. This zone is used by runners, cyclists, and racewalkers to improve their speed.
Options for High-Intensity Exercise
- Cycling Running (over 10 miles per hour)
- Swimming laps
- Strength training (short rest periods and/or heavy weights)
- Explosive and plyometric training
Zone of Maximum Intensity
You are pushing as hard as you can at maximum effort (96% to 100% of your MHR), like with high-intensity interval training or sprinting. You can’t possibly labor any harder. Most people can only stay in this zone for a few minutes. Except for breathing single words, you will be unable to talk.
Consult your doctor to check that working out at such a high heart rate is safe for you. This zone should be used exclusively for short bursts during interval training, where you work hard for a minute, then rest for many minutes before repeating.
High-intensity exercise can significantly improve your cardiovascular capability and lactic acid clearance. This has spillover effects for improvements in other intensity zones.
How to Keep Track of Your Heart Rate Zone
Take your heart rate five minutes after you begin your workout and again before you begin your cool down. Take your pulse or use a heart rate monitor, fitness tracker, or smartwatch to accomplish this.
Check Your Pulse
Your pulse can be found in your neck (carotid artery) or wrist (radial artery). You’ll need a timing device that displays seconds, so set your smartphone clock to stopwatch mode or use an actual watch, clock, or timer with a second hand.
Make use of two fingers (not your thumb, which has a pulse). Finding your pulse is often simpler by checking the carotid arteries on both sides of your windpipe. Start looking for it at your windpipe, slightly beneath your jaw.
Once you’ve located the pulse, lightly push and count your pulse for 10 seconds, then multiply by six, or 15 seconds, then multiply by four. So 20 beats per minute for 10 seconds equals 120 beats per minute; 20 beats per minute for 15 seconds equals 80 beats per minute.
You may need to pause at first to accomplish this, but once you’ve found it, keep walking slowly or marching in place while checking your pulse to keep it from slowing down.
Many treadmills and other workout equipment include built-in pulse sensors in the grips. You grasp them, and your pulse is displayed on the machine. You should not have to stop working out to get a reading. A smartphone app is another option.
Make use of a Heart Rate Monitor
A chest strap-mounted heart rate monitor is more accurate than monitoring your pulse. They send the data to a wrist device or a smartphone app, allowing you to monitor your heart rate throughout your workout.
Models with higher pricing have many additional features, such as measuring your heart rate zones, stopwatch features, calories burned, and so on.
Many heart rate monitors allow you to program different heart rate zones. This is useful if you undertake a variety of intensity workouts because you won’t have to reset it.
Make use of a fitness tracker or a smart watch
Some fitness trackers and smartwatches, including Fitbit and Apple Watch models, contain LED pulse sensors on the underside adjacent to the skin. To obtain a consistent and accurate reading, they must be worn securely against the skin.
Many of them do not read constantly to conserve battery life. See your device’s instructions for how to obtain an on-demand or continuous pulse reading.
These devices frequently offer heart rate zones that are simplified, such as light, moderate, and robust. Some allow you to select a target heart rate and receive a visual or audio alert when you reach it. The top fitness trackers have been tried, tested, and reviewed. If you’re looking for an activity tracker, consider which option is ideal for you.
A Final Thought From DigEnet
Working in each heart rate zone offers advantages. Using each is an excellent approach to improve cardiovascular health, endurance, weight management, illness prevention, and mood enhancement. If you incorporate exercises from each zone, your workout routines will become more varied. Before beginning any new fitness plan, consult with your doctor about your current fitness level and potential limits.