Get Weight Loss Results Faster with Heart Rate Training
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 begin heart rate training you must first find out your maximum heart rate. After you learn your maximum heart rate, you will take that number and base all of the heart rate zones around it. But, before you find out what your maximum heart rate is and do the calculations, you should judge what fitness level you are at:
Poor Shape: You have been sedentary and you haven’t exercised in the past eight weeks or longer. Fair Shape: You are fairly active and walk more than a mile, or do some type of aerobic activity, at least three times a week. Good Shape: You exercise almost daily and/or you run five or more miles weekly.
Once you have chosen your level of fitness, the following test can help you learn the vicinity of your maximum heart rate.
Walk One Mile: Walk a mile at an even pace either on a treadmill or at a track. When you are nearing the end of your mile, or in the last quarter of your mile, take your heart rate. Add 40 to this number if you listed yourself in poor shape; add 50 to this number if you listed yourself in fair shape, and add 60 to this number if you listed yourself in good shape.
After you have done your adding, this number will be your maximum heart rate target zone and you can start planning out your heart rate training routine based off of it. Heart rate training is easiest when you use exercise equipment, such as a treadmill, that is equipped with a heart rate monitor. The monitor will act as your trainer letting you know what heart rate zone you are throughout your workout. Using monitors saves time and lets you stay focused on your workout-instead of trying to do the monitoring manually and doing the calculations in your head. All you have to do is look at the heart rate monitor and you will know when to intensify your workout, back it down, or continue your pace, depending on your routine.
Various 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: In this zone your heart rate is 50%-60% of your maximum heart rate and you can easily talk to someone.
Fitness Zone: You find it is getting a little harder to talk and you are breathing heavier. You heart rate is at 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate.
Aerobic Zone: Your breathing will be very hard and you won’t be able to talk with people in long sentences, but you can speak in short phrases. Your heart rate is 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 are in your maximum output zone and you will only be able to keep up the pace in this zone for a few minutes.
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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