This
calculator
will help you calculate your target heart rate for aerobic exercise
training. That figure is used
to determine the optimum target zone for aerobic training.
Most treadmills or exercise bikes will determine your heart rate using
sensors; however, if you're running outside or bicycling on the trails
you may not have access to these heart rate monitoring devices. Simple
pulse measurements can be taken at your carotid artery or your wrist
regularly during your aerobic workout. Count the beats for 15 seconds
and multiply your number by 4 to get your beats per minute.
People just beginning a training program should start with a target toward the lower end of the scale (closer to the 65%).
The range of one's heart rate to derive the most benefit from aerobic
exercise has been derived using the primary variable of age, although
it also depends on ones gender, physical condition. In order to
calculate the optimum training heart rate of 65 to 85 percent of a
person's maximal heart rate, one must know the maximum heart rate.
The
target heart rate prediction used by this calculator is based on
the assumption that an individuals maximum heart rate is 220 minus
their age.
The recovery heart rate is a good measure of the condition of one's
heart. For instance the greater the reduction in one's heart rate after
the cessation of exercise shortly after exercise, the better condition
the heart is in. Studies have shown that a heart rate that does not
drop more than 12 beats per minute after the exercises has stopped has
been linked to a risk of death.(1)
1. CR Cole MD, EH
Blackstone MD, FJ Pashkow MD, CE Snader MA, MS Lauer MD
Heart-Rate Recovery Immediately after Exercise as a Predictor of
Mortality. NEJM Volume 341:1351-1357, 1999.