Whether you're training for a race or simply trying to be the healthiest version of yourself, paying attention to your heart rate zones can be helpful.
Get the Most Out of Exercise Using Heart Rate Zones
If "becoming healthier" is on your list of resolutions for 2024, you might want to learn more about heart rate zones. Knowing your zones – and which ones to target – can help you get the most out of your exercise routine.
If you have some type of fitness tracker, you've probably seen your heart rate front and center on the device. You might have even watched it fluctuate when you're physically active and after a period of time when you're at rest.
Do you know what those heart rates mean? Read on for a guide to heart rate zones and how to use them to improve your fitness level.
Understanding Heart Rate
Your heart rate, also called your pulse, is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Even if you don't have a fitness tracker or a heart rate monitor keeping you up to date on your heart rate, you've likely had it measured at a medical appointment, along with other vital signs like your blood pressure. That's because your heart rate is a key indicator of how healthy your heart is and how well your body is functioning.
Your heart rate naturally goes up and down throughout the day. When you're at rest and your heart is doing the least amount of work, that's your resting heart rate. When you're exercising or simply moving around during the day, your heart rate will be higher.
It's important to know that your heart rate range will be different than someone's else. Heart rates, including resting heart rate, can vary depending on a number of factors, including your age and your level of physical fitness.
How to Use Heart Rate Zones to Your Advantage
How can your heart rate help you make your workouts more effective? Your heart is a muscle, so one purpose of exercise is to get your heart pumping faster to challenge and strengthen it. To do that effectively, you want to know your target heart zones (also known as heart rate training zones) and aim to hit them during workouts.
Keeping track of your heart rate in that way can help you make sure you're getting the recommended amount of exercise: 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity physical activity each week.
- When you're exercising at a moderate intensity — when you're taking a brisk walk or a jog — your heart rate should be between 64% and 76% of your maximum heart rate.
- To exercise at a vigorous intensity, your heart rate should be between 77% and 93% of your max heart rate.
- High-intensity interval training cycles through periods of exercising at 80% to 95% of your heart rate max alternating with recovery periods working out at 40% to 50% of your heart rate max.
To determine your maximum heart rate, there's a fairly simple formula: Subtract your age from 220. The result is your maximum heart rate.
You can then use your maximum heart rate to find your target heart rate zones. As an example, if you're 42, your maximum heart rate is 178. If you're looking to get in a moderate-intensity workout, you want to keep your heart rate between roughly 114 and 135 beats per minute (BPM).
If you want to ramp up the intensity of your workout, you can aim for a heart rate between 137 and 166 BPM. While both levels are beneficial to your health, bumping up your workout intensity can help you lose weight, keep your heart healthier and improve your physical fitness. That's a win!