Working out in targeted heart rate zones can help ensure your workout is safe and effective. Knowing how hard you need to exercise enables you to reach your goals while ensuring you don't push your body too much, making exercise unsafe.
Cardiovascular exercise relies on frequency, intensity, and duration. You know how often you exercise and for how long, but do you understand how to clock intensity by monitoring heart rate zones? Learn the effects of each of the five heart rate zones and how to use them in your cardio workouts.
Step 1: Determine Maximum Heart Rate
Once you learn your maximum heart rate (MHR), use heart rate zones to gear your workout to the correct intensity. Your maximum heart rate is as fast as your heart should beat. This varies for each person, but age is generally used as a guide to estimate your maximum heart rate.
One of the easiest ways to determine your MHR is to subtract your age from 220. For instance, if you are 40, your MHR is 180 (220 - 40 = 180).
You can also use the Tanaka formula, multiplying your age by 0.7, and subtracting that number from 208. So, for a 40-year-old, this calculation would also give an MHR of 180 (208 - (40 x 0.7) = 180).
A more individualized number can be provided through testing by a personal trainer or as a function of some of the more expensive heart rate monitors. You can also use an age-basedheart rate zone chartto find your target rate based on percentages of your max.
Step 2: Determine Target Heart Rate Zones
You can get different fitness benefits by exercising in different heart rate (HR) zones. These five exercise zones are based on the percentage ranges of maximum heart rate. In eachzone, you will feel a different level of exertion and your body will be burning a percentage of carbohydrates,protein,and fat.
Very Light: Under 57% of MHR
This heart rate zone represents when you are sedentary or engaged in gentle activity. Your ability to talk is not hindered at all but you're also not going to get the same level of calorie burn that you'll have with some of the higher heart rate zones.
Training within the very light heart rate zone is beneficial if you're recovering from a more intense exercise session or after participating in a grueling event. Exercises likely to place you in this zone include light walking or cycling flat terrain.
Light: 57% to 63% of MHR
The light heart rate zone is 57% to 63% of your maximum heart rate. This is an easy and comfortable zone to exercise in and is considered the lower end of the moderate-intensity zone. You can carry on a full conversation in this zone, although you may be breathing a little heavier than usual.
Your workout in this heart rate zone is less intense and won't give the most cardiorespiratory training benefits. But studies show it works to help decrease body fat, bloodpressure,and cholesterol.
In the light heart rate zone, the body derives10% of itsenergy from burning carbohydrates, 5% from protein, and 85% from fat.
Walkers are often in this heart rate zoneunless they press themselves to walk faster. If you exercise in higher heart rate zones, walking in this zone is a good way to enjoy an easy recovery day while active.
Moderate: 64% to 76% of MHR
The moderate heart rate zone is 64% to 76% of your maximum heart rate. This is the higher end of the moderate-intensity exercise zone. If you're using the talk test to measure intensity, you will breathe heavier but still speak in short sentences.
You burn more calories per minute than in the light heart zone because the exercise is more intense.
In the moderate heart rate zone, your body fuels itself with 10% carbohydrates, 5% protein, and 85% fat.
You get the same health and fat-burning benefits as the light heart rate zone. An example of a workout in this zone is a brisk walking workout.
Vigorous: 77% to 95% of MHR
The vigorous heart rate zone is 77% to 95% of your maximum heart rate. You are now in the vigorous-intensity zone. You will be breathing extremely hard and able to speak in short phrases.
This is the zone to aim for when training for endurance. It spurs your body to improve your circulatory system by building new bloodvesselsand increases your heart and lung capacity. Aiming for 20 to 60 minutes in this heart rate zone is believed to give the best fitness training benefits.
With the increase in intensity, you burn more calories and cover more distance in the same time. The calories you burn depend most on distance and your weight. If you go fartherinthe same amount of time, you burn more calories per minute.
In the vigorous heart rate zone, you burn 50% of your calories from carbohydrates, less than 1% from protein, and 50% from fat.
You would typically be in this zone by running or cycling, but could achieve it by racewalking or walking fast for anaerobic walking workout.
Training at the high end of this heart rate zone (84% MHR or higher) will improve the amount of oxygen you can consume—your VO2 max. This exertion level takes you to the limit where your body begins to produce lactic acid. Runners, cyclists, and racewalkers use this heart rate zone to build their ability to go even faster.
In the high end of the vigorous zone, the body burns 85% carbohydrates, less than 1% protein, and 15% fat.
Workouts in the higher end of this heart rate zone should be in the 10- to 20-minuterangeor as part of an interval training workout.
Maximal: 96% to 100% of MHR
The top heart rate zone is 96% to 100% of your maximum heart rate. You can't go any higher and most people can't stay in this zone for more than a few minutes. You will be unable to speak except for gasping single words.
This zone should only be used for short bursts during interval training where you work intensely for a minute, drop to a lower intensity for several minutes, and then repeat.
While you burn lots of calories per minute in the maximal zone, 90% of them are carbohydrates, less than 1% protein, and 10% fats.
You should consult with your doctor to ensure you can work out at such a high heart rate safely.
Step 3: Monitor Your Heart Rate During Exercise
Take your heart rate five minutes after the start of your exercise session and again before you go into your cooldown. You can do this by taking your pulse, using a heart rate monitor, or using a fitness tracker or smart watch.
Take Your Pulse
You can find your pulseatyour neck (carotid artery) or wrist (radial artery). You will need a timing device that shows seconds, so switch to stopwatch mode on your smartphone clock or use a watch, clock, or timer with a second hand.
- Use two fingers and do not use your thumb as it has a pulse. It is often easiest to find your pulse in the carotid arteries on either side of your windpipe. Start feeling for it just beneath your jaw, next to your windpipe.
- Once you locate the pulse, press lightly. Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by six, or count for 15 seconds and multiply by four.
- You may need to stop to do this at first, but once you can locate it, walk slowly or march in place while taking your pulse to keep it from slowing.
Examples:
- 20 beats for 10 seconds = 120 beats per minute
- 20 beats for 15 seconds = 80 beats per minute
Your heart rate will slow if you stop moving, so it is important to check your pulse quickly if using the manual method,, counting for only 10–15 seconds.
Many treadmills and other exercise machines have grips with pulse sensors built in. Grip them and your pulse will read out on a display. You can also use a mobile app.
Use a Heart Rate Monitor
Heart rate monitorswith a chest strap are more accurate than taking your pulse. They transmit the data to a wrist unit or a mobile app to monitor your heart rate throughout your workout.
As prices increase, models include many other features, such as tracking your heart rate zones, stopwatch features, calories burned, and more. Other heart rate monitors include pulse monitors where you place one or two fingers on a sensor for a reading.
Many heart rate monitors offer the ability to pre-program multiple heart rate zones. This is beneficial if you do different workouts because you won't have to reprogram it each time. Some will even tell you how long it takes to return to your resting heart rate.
Use a Fitness Tracker or Smartwatch
Some fitness bands and smartwatches, such as some models ofFitbitand theApple Watch,have LED pulse sensors on the underside next to the skin. These must be worn securely against the skin in order to get an accurate reading.
These devices often have simplified heart rate zones, such as light, moderate, and vigorous. Some allow you to set a target heart rate and have a visual or auditory alert when in your chosen zone. Consider which features and capabilities are most important when choosing between models, such as Whoop vs. Fitbit.
Vary Your Workouts
Which heart rate zones should you work in? It is best to vary workouts for length andintensityand allow a recovery day between days of intense exercise in the vigorous and maximal zones.
A training program will often have shorter workouts of higher intensity two to three days per week, alternating with a recovery/rest day. One day of a longer workout in the moderate or vigorous heart rate zone is often used to build mileage toward a race such as a 10K, half-marathon, or marathon.
Racewalker Dave McGovern has a suggestedweekly workout schedulethat varies workouts for intensity and heart rate to improve speed,endurance,and distance capacity:
- Monday: Rest day with light activity
- Tuesday: Interval workout in the vigorous zone with a 10-minute warmup at an easy pace; intervals of 30-second sprints followed by two minutes of recovery, repeated eight to 12 times; then cool down 10 minutes at an easy pace
- Wednesday: Recovery day with a workout in the moderate zone for 30 to 45 minutes
- Thursday: Interval workout in the vigorous zone with longer intervals of eight minutes at a vigorous intensity and two minutes of recovery, repeated three to four times
- Friday: Recovery day with a workout in the moderate zone for 30 to 45 minutes
- Saturday: Steady-state (tempo) workout in the low end of the vigorous zone for 20 to 30 minutes after a warmup of 10 minutes
- Sunday: Distance workout in the low end of the vigorous heart rate zone
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