Monitoring your heart rate can be an effective way to get the most out of your exercise program. Keeping track of your heart rate and controlling how fast or slow your heart is working when you exercise is called heart rate training. Studies are showing that heart rate training helps people reach their exercise goals quicker and more efficiently.

To start heart rate training you must know what your maximum heart rate is as it will be the number that you use to determine your heart rate zones. However, before you get started learning what your maximum heart rate is, you should realistically judge which fitness category you fall within:

Poor Shape: You have not exercised for a couple of months. Fair Shape: You exercise about three times a week-either walking or a form of aerobic activity. Good Shape: Your body is used to exercise because you run at least five miles a week or exercise most days.

After you have determined your fitness level, you can do the following test to find your maximum heart rate. While this test won’t give you your exact maximum heart rate, it will get you in the immediate vicinity.

One Mile Walking Test: Go to a local track, or use a treadmill to walk at an even and steady pace for one mile. Take your heart rate during the last leg of your mile. If you are in poor shape, add 40. If you are in fair shape, add 50. If you are in good shape, add 60.

Now that you have determined your maximum heart rate, or maximum heart rate zone, you can start heart rate training. The most efficient and easiest way to monitor your heart rate during a workout is to use a treadmill, or other equipment, that is equipped with a heart rate control monitor. It will be your guide to let you know which heart rate zone you are in while you are working out. Using them will take the guess work out of your heart rate and let you know exactly where your heart rate is at any given moment. Machines, like treadmills, that come with heart rate control monitors act as your personal trainers and the numbers tell you whether you should maintain your pace, slow down a bit, or step it up a notch depending on your current heart rate zone.

Heart Rate Training Zones

Unlike other forms of exercise a heart rate training workout should only last between 20-30 minutes. During the workout you should move in and out of your heart rate zones.

Healthy Heart Zone: You feel comfortable and your heart rate is at 50%-60% of your maximum heart rate.

Fitness Zone: In this zone your heart rate is 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate and you may have trouble talking, unless it is in short sentences.

Aerobic Zone: You are really stepping it up and talking is limited to short phrases only. Your heart rate is at 70%-80% of your maximum heart rate.

Anaerobic Zone: In this zone your heart rate is 80%-90% of your maximum heart rate and you should only be able to gasp out a word here and there because you will be breathing heavily.

Red Line Zone: You will only be able to stay within this zone for a few minutes, and you probably won’t be able to speak at all. If you do, it will be a gasped word or two that may be hard to understand. Your heart rate is on target for your maximum heart rate goal.

As you can see, heart rate training allows you to use every moment of your workout time more efficiently. Using a treadmill, or other machine, that is equipped with a heart rate monitor will help you know exactly what your heart is doing at all times. Using these machines will take the guesswork taken out of heart rate training so you can be certain that you are one workout closer to reaching your goals.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 4:10 am and is filed under Exercise. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.