Heart Rate Zones by Jane Thurnell-Read

When I first started to get fit I bought a Polar heart rate monitor. At the time it was quite an expensive purchase – they have got much much cheaper in recent years – but I hoped the expense would motivate me to persist in my plan to improve my aerobic fitness.

The British Heart Foundation says: “Recent statistics suggest that seven out of ten [UK] adults don’t do enough physical activity and this increases their risk of heart disease. Being physically active not only keeps your heart healthy, but makes you look and feel great.”

Their recommendation for adults is 30 minutes moderate physical activity on 5 or more days a week. Moderate physical exercise means you get warmer and slightly out of breath. At the beginning this can seem like a huge amount of exercise, but remember if you don’t do it you are likely to really suffer as you get older. Invest in your health now, whatever your age, and enjoy the immediate benefits and the long term benefits.

I found having a heart rate monitor really helped me. It consisted of a strap put round my chest next to my skin and a watch I wore on my wrist.  You can buy ones with lots of functions and even ones where you can download the information to your computer or simple ones that tell you what your heart rate is at any time and also what your average is over a given period.

Even if you start by brisk walking wearing a heart rate monitor can give you great feedback. You can see that your average heart rate starts to go down for the same task – this means that you are getting fitter.
As you get fitter you’ll want to use the concept of heart rate zones to help vary your workout, which keeps you from getting bored  and increases your fitness.

Maximum Heart Rate

Before you can work out your heart rate zones you need to work out your maximum heart rate. There are special physical tests you can do to determine this, but many people start instead with a simple formula:
220 minus your age

So, for example, if you’re 50, your maximum heart rate would be 170 (220 minus 50) and if you are 35, you’re maximum heart rate would be 185 (220 minus 35).

It needs to be emphasized though that this formula is at best a starting guide not an absolute recommendation.  It’s important you listen to what your body is telling you too. If you’re interested, you can learn a lot more about this on Wikipedia.

Heart Rate Zones

The zones are calculated by taking percentages of your maximum heart rate. So, for example, if your maximum heart rate is 180,

In practice you wouldn’t think about trying to be dead on 70% but would be wanting your heart rate monitor to be between 65% and 75%  or between 70% and 80%, for example. Remember that because establishing your maximum heart rate using a calculation is not necessarily that accurate, these zones may not be that accurate too. Another way of thinking about it is on a scale of 1 -10 for effort. 6 out of 10 is equivalent to 60% etc.

The American Heart Association gives this guidance for people starting to exercise using walking: “If you can talk and walk at the same time, you aren't working too hard. If you can sing and maintain your level of effort, you're probably not working hard enough. If you get out of breath quickly, you're probably working too hard — especially if you have to stop and catch your breath.” This advice can be translated into whatever aerobic exercise you have chosen to do.

Aerobic exercise means that you are training in the 70 to 80% zone, so if you were this person you would  want your heart rate to stay between 126 and 144 (roughly). At the lower end of your aerobic zone, you will be able to talk (but mot sing or have long conversations). At the higher end it is beginning to be difficult to talk in sentences and you’ll be breathing hard.

If your maximum heart rate was 170, then you would be aiming for a heart rate of roughly 119-136 for aerobic training.

Do remember though that whenever you are doing an aerobic session, you need to warm up properly and cool down properly afterwards, so you will not be in your aerobic zone all the time.. Doing this minimizes the chance of injury, maximizes your chances of enjoyment and reduces your chances of being stiff and sore afterwards. During this part of your exercising you are looking for a hear rate of 60 to 70%. As you get fitter, you will probably find that your heart rate comes down more quickly when you go into the cool down period.

As you get more experienced and fitter, you should start to vary what you do. Apart from adding interest, variety and motivation, your body will become even fitter. For example:

• Do a short session when your work very hard and get your heart rate to 80% and above.

• Do a longer session with short intervals when you work extra hard  and get your heart rate right up for short periods. You will be gasping for breath and your heart rate will be above 80% for short periods of time before returning to the 70% to 80% zone.

• Do an extra long session where you keep your heart rate between 60 and 70% for the whole session. This sort of session is good if you have been working hard earlier in the week. It’s often known as a recovery session. Don’t feel you have to work hard all the time. These recovery sessions are really important as they stop you getting over-trained, exhausted and likely to injure yourself or get an infection.

Some people believe that they must always work flat out to be fit. This is not true. By using your heart rate zones sensibly, you can keep yourself motivated and attain a level of fitness that will be the envy of your friends.

Copyright 2010 Jane Thurnell-Read Online Healthy Living Products