How to Calculate Heart Rate With the Karvonen Method
The Karvonen Method is one of the most accurate ways to calculate your target heart rate. It uses a mathematical formula that takes your age, gender and resting heart rate into account when calculating the upper and lower limits of your personal target heart rate. By staying within these limits, you can ensure that each of your workouts is effective. There are many automatic Karvonen heart rate calculators available on the net, but this article will show you how to obtain your own, personalized results.
Instructions
-
-
1
Find your resting heart rate. Before getting out of bed in the morning, take your pulse (Place your thumb over a pulse point and count how many times your heart beats in 60 seconds). For more accurate ratings, do this three days in a row and then average the results.
-
2
Find your Maximum Heart Rate and your Heart Rate Reserve. To find your Maximum Heart Rate, subtract your age from 220 (226 for women). To find your Heart Rate Reserve, subtract your Resting Heart Rate from your Maximum Heart Rate.
-
-
3
Calculate the lower and upper limits of your Target Heart Rate. To calculate the lower limit of your Target Heart Rate, multiply your Heart Rate Reserve by 60% and add your Resting Heart Rate to that number. To calculate the upper limit of your Target Heart Rate, multiply your Heart Rate Reserve by 80% and then add your Resting Heart Rate to that number.
-
4
Calculate your Target Heart Rate. Add the lower limit of your Target Heart Rate to the upper limit of your Target Heart Rate and divide that number by two. This number is your Target Heart Rate. To get the most out of your workouts, your heart rate should fall between the upper and lower limits of your Target Heart Rate.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Don't calculate your Resting Heart Rate the morning after a strenuous workout. This will give you inaccurate results. Trouble finding your pulse? Place two fingers below your jawline, next to your windpipe. You can't miss it. Too many calculations? Check out the target heart rate calculator in the "resources" section.
