Don't Make Your Heart Burst By Brad Nickell At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Understanding the importance of your target heart rate zone will make certain that you get maximum results from your workout while reducing the chance of injury. When working out, you should keep track of your target heart rate and ensure that you are staying within your designated zone. You should aim for a heart rate that is between 60-80% of your target zone for best results.

Your first step will be in determining your resting heartbeat. This number varies between individuals and is affected by many different factors. Age, gender, and fitness level will play a direct impact on your overall heart rate. Those who are in great shape and have excelled in endurance training will have a lower resting heart rate than someone who is out of shape. Heart rates are measured in beats per minute, or BPM for short. One way to determine your heart rate is through a monitor, or you can take your pulse, either on your neck or wrist.

To take your pulse, apply your index, middle finger, and ring finger on the pulse at either the wrist or the neck. You can adjust your fingers until you feel the pulse throb or beat under your fingers. Using a stop watch or by following the time on a clock, count your pulse for ten seconds. Once you have this number, multiply it by six to determine your resting heart rate for one minute. Children tend to have faster heart rates than adults. An average heart rate for a child ranges between 70 and 100 BPM and an average heart rate for an adult ranges between 60 and 100 BPM. Now that you know your resting heart rate, it is time to determine your maximum target heart rate.

For your target heart rate, take the number 220 and subtract your age, this will be your maximum target heart rate. For example, if you were 30 years old, your maximum target heart rate would be 190 BPM. It’s important to remember that your target heart rate zone is between 60 and 80% of your target rate. Under no circumstance should you exercise at or above 85% of your target heart rate as this can cause serious health risks to the heart. As with any exercise, make certain to discuss your personal target heart rate zone with your health care provider as there might be certain conditions that would cause your physician to recommend a lower target heart rate. By using the ten second pulse test, you can find out your heart rate while exercising and determine whether you need to increase or decrease the intensity of your workout.

Getting this right will help improve your work outs tremendously. When your heart is strong then your whole body is strong. Getting your heart rate into your target zone maximizes every work out you do. This information is worth learning and studying. You can honestly workout less, but see better results if you put into effect what you have read here.

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