What Does Exercise Do for the Heart Rate?
Regular exercise lowers your resting heart rate, which means that your heart is working more efficiently with less effort to keep you alive. During exercise, though, your heart rate increases. There are ways to ensure your exercise sessions do good, not harm. Always talk with your doctor before beginning an exercise program.
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Exercise Benefits and Heart Rate
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Any physical activity raises your heart rate. Aerobic activity such as running raises it more than anaerobic activity, such as weight training. Though you should be more cautious of your heart rate during aerobic activity, you should also make sure to do regular aerobic activity to keep your heart and lungs strong. Like any muscle, your heart gets stronger when used consistently. Thirty minutes or more of daily aerobic activity reduces stress, help you maintain a healthy weight, lower your blood pressure and elevate your mood.
Target Heart Rates for Beginners and Seniors
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When you begin to exercise after a period of inactivity (or perhaps you have never exercised), it's best to stick with a target heart rate zone of 50 percent to 70 percent of your maximal heart rate. Seniors are advised to stay within 50 percent to 65 percent. First, calculate your maximal heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. Then multiply that number by 50 percent and 65 percent or 70 percent. A fifty-year-old would have a maximal heart rate of 170 beats per minute (bpm), which is 220 minus 50.
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Target Heart Rate for Regular Exercisers and Athletes
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Most people who have been doing regular exercise for a couple of months can raise their intensity to 70 percent to 85 percent of their max heart rate. The formula is calculated the same way as above. A 25-year-old's maximal heart rate would be 195 bpm. Her target heart rate zone would then be 136 to 166. Athletes may find themselves pushing into the higher end of their target heart rate zones and may at times even reach 90 percent. However, no one should be exercising at his maximal heart rate.
Monitoring your Heart Rate
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One way to monitor your heart rate during exercise is to take your pulse at your wrist or neck. This can be difficult to do during exercise. An alternative is to buy a heart rate monitor watch. Some of these are a wrist watch that you can touch that reads your heart rate through your finger. Another option is to buy a watch with a chest strap unit. This kind constantly monitors your heart rate through the chest strap and sends the number to the wrist unit for you to check whenever you wish.
Talk Test
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Physically taking your heart rate is one way to keep tabs on it during exercise, but there's another way to effectively make sure that you're exercising at a healthy intensity level. The talk test says that you should be able to talk while exercising but not sing. Gasping for air is another sign that you're overdoing it. Allow yourself to be able to work at a somewhat comfortable level, but if you find yourself whistling while you work out it may be time to pick up the pace.
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