Target Heart Rate Tool
Your target heart rate is the range at which exercise is considered safe and effective. It is a percentage of what your maximum heart rate should be. The more fit you are, the higher the percentage can go. This calculator uses the age-based method to determine your target heart rate.
Enter Your Information
Age:
Fitness Level:
Your Results
Based on your fitness level and age, your target heart rate is to beats per minute. Your estimated maximum heart rate is beats per minute.
About Your Results
Your target range depends on how fit you are. If you are out of shape, your target rate should be 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. Are you just starting an exercise program? Your target health rate should be at 60% of your maximum rate. Becoming more fit? You may increase your heart rate to 70% of maximum. Do you have any heart problems? Are you elderly? Consult your doctor before starting an exercise program.
Your target range depends on how fit you are. Are you fit? Your target rate should be 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. This assumes that you exercise regularly and do not have any conditions that would make exercise unsafe.
Your target range depends on how fit you are. You say you are athletic. Your target rate should be 80% to 90% of your maximum heart rate. This assumes that you do a lot of exercise and do not have problems that would make exercise unsafe. You should try for rate at 90% when you become extremely fit.
Finding Your Heart Rate
You must first stop exercising to take your pulse. The easiest places to find your pulse are at your neck and wrist. Place your fingers on either place and press lightly. Count the beats you feel for a full 60 seconds. Use your fingers, not your thumb. You can also buy a pulse monitor at sporting goods stores and discount stores.
Why Should You Care?
Regular exercise is important to help you stay healthy and maintain a normal weight. You should know how hard you are working out. Your target heart rate can tell you that. Keep in mind that exercise doesn't have to be hard to offer health benefits. You can improve your fitness with a 30- to 60-minute workout of moderate intensity most days of the week. You can break up this amount into smaller portions during the day. If you are a beginner, you will want to start at a less vigorous level and work up to a moderate intensity as you become more fit.
References
Your Guide to Physical Activity and Your Heart. National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2006, page 24. Accessed at: NHLBI
Ekelund U, Poortvliet E, Yngve A, Hurtig-Wennlov A, Nilsson A, Sjostrom M. ?Heart rate as an indicator of the intensity of physical activity in human adolescents.? Eur J Appl Physiol Vol. 85. Aug. 2001:244-9.
Pizzorno: Textbook of Natural Medicine, 2nd ed., Copyright © 1999 Churchill Livingstone, Inc., page 304.
