How to decode your heart rate and reach your goals
With fit watches becoming more popular, it begs the question, what do I need to know about my heart rate?
The average person doesn’t need to worry too much about keeping track of their heart rate. Unless you have heart disease, you can sleep easy knowing that any amount of physical activity is great for your cardiovascular health.
Whether you wear a device that monitors your heart or not, keep these general guidelines in mind:
1. Know your maximum heart rate (MHR).
This is the maximum number of times your heart can beat per minute. Simply subtract your age from 220. Exceeding this number is unsafe.
2. Understand your different zones:
Lower Intensity zone: You are at 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. Multiply your MHR by .5 and .6 and you will get your lower intensity range.
Temperate Zone: You are at 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. Multiply your MHR by .6 and .7: this is the range of your temperate zone.
Aerobic Zone: You are at 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. Multiply your MHR by .7 and .8: this is the range of your aerobic zone.
3. Understand how zones relate to weight loss and burning calories.
Your body uses oxygen to burn fat. As your heart rate increases, you take in less oxygen which signals your body to use carbohydrates for fuel. The lower your heart rate is, the more fat you burn. The higher your heart rate is, the more calories you burn.
Lower intensity zone: 85% of the calories you burn are fat.
Temperate zone: 65% of the calories you burn are fat.
Aerobic zone: 45% of the calories you burn are fat.
4. Never skip strength training.
While you may be tempted to go as hard as possible every single workout, keep in mind that strength training keeps you in the lower intensity zone and helps you build muscle. Muscle will increase your metabolic rate and help you continue to burn fat while resting. That's - right - your leg day is going to help with weight loss even when you aren’t working out!
5. Keep a well-rounded fitness routine.
Heart health needs to be a part of your life forever. Incorporating different types of exercise into your weekly routine will ensure you are hitting different zones, which contributes to cardiovascular health in different ways.
6. As your heart health improves, you will notice different benefits.
When you first start working out, cardio is going to burn more fat. Eventually, you will become aerobically fit and that significant weight loss will stop, but you will continue to lower your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol.