Pretty soon after you start using a heart rate monitor, you'll want to start paying attention to your heart rate target zones. Heart rate zones basically define the optimal workout intensity to accomplish certain levels of fitness. Once you figure out your personal heart rate zones, you can be assured that your workouts will be both effective and efficient.
Working out in the appropriate heart rate target zone helps you achieve maximum cardio-vascular benefits from your exercise. As a general rule, many trainers recommend keeping your heart rate between 55 % and 85% of your maximum rate. As you become more advanced in your training, you should learn that there are actually five heart rate zones that will help you really fine tune your exercise regimen.
Here's how the zones work. Exercise of any type causes an elevation in your heart rate. Your body demands more nutrients and oxygen at the muscular level, so your heart is called on to supply a higher blood flow to transport these elements. When you buy a heart rate monitor, it may have specific instructions and steps for determining your maximum heart rate. However, an easy rule of thumb is to subtract your age from 220. For example, if you are 30 years old, your maximum heart rate would be about 180 beats per minute. If you wanted to achieve an intensity level between 55% and 85% of your maximum heart rate, you would multiply 180 by .55 and 180 by .85. After doing the calculations, this means you would want your heart beating between 99 and 153 beats per minute for the duration of your workout.
Other heart rate measurements are helpful as well. For example, your resting heart rate gives a good clue about your overall health. This is defined as your heart rate while at rest. Your working heart rate refers to the beats per minute your heart achieves after five minutes of vigorous exercise. Finally, you'll also want to see how quickly your heart recovers to a normal rate after exercise.
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