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8
HEART RATE
As you exercise, your heart rate increases. This is often used as a measure of the required
intensity of an exercise. You need to exercise hard enough to condition your circulatory
system, and increase your pulse rate, but not enough to strain your heart.
Your initial level of fitness is important when developing an exercise program. Depending on
the individual, when starting an exercise program, you can achieve good training results with
a heart rate of 110-120 beats per minute (BPM). If you are more fit, you will need a higher
threshold of stimulation.
To begin with, you should exercise at a level that elevates your heart rate to about 65 to 70%
of your maximum heart rate. If you find this is too easy, you may want to increase it, but it is
better to lean on the conservative side.
As a rule of thumb, your maximum heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age from 220.
As you increase in age, your heart, like other muscles, loses some of its efficiency. Some of
this loss can be won back as fitness improves.
HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR HEART RATE
Immediately after exercising, take your heart rate by applying two fingers to your wrist or
carotid artery in the neck. Count the beats for ten seconds. Multiply the number of beats
times 6 to calculate your current heart rate in BPM (beats per minute). Ten seconds is long
enough for accuracy. Since heart rate slows as you recover, a count longer than ten seconds
isn’t as accurate.
The following tables are guides for target heart rate per beginning fitness and above average
fitness levels based on your age.
BEGINNER FITNESS LEVEL
AGE
GROUP
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
10 Second Count
23
22
22
21
20
19
19
18
18
Heart Rate In Beats Per Minute 138
132
132
126
120
114
114
108
108
ABOVE AVERAGE FITNESS LEVEL
AGE
GROUP
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65
10
Second
Count
26 26 25 24 23 22 22 21 20
Heart Rate In Beats Per Minute 156
156
150
144
138
132
132
126
120
Don’t push yourself too hard to reach the figures on this table. It can be very uncomfortable
if you over exercise. Let it happen naturally as you work through your program. Remember,
the target is a guide, not a rule, a little above or below is just fine.
Don’t be concerned with day to day variations in your pulse rate. Being under pressure or not
enough sleep can affect it. Your pulse rate is a guide, don’t become obsessed with it.
TRAINING GUIDELINES
