Heart Rate Zones

Heart Rate Zones are defined as a percentage of your maximum heart rate (heartbeats per minute). Knowing your different Heart Rate Zones, like Target and Maximum Heart Rates, push you to learn your limits, maximize your workout, and help you better understand how exercise affects your body.

This all sounds great, right? So how can you learn and implement Heart Rate Zones?

First, you need to calculate your Maximum Heart Rate. You can find this by taking 220 - your age. Once you find your maximum heart rate. You can calculate Zones 1-5. Zone one is 50 to 60% of your max. Zone Two 60 to 70%. Zone Three is 70 to 80%. Zone Four is 80 to 90%. Zone Five is 90 to 100% of your max. Focusing on training in Zone 3-4 is the ideal target.

“Sustaining a workout at this pace improves cardiorespiratory endurance. So knowing your target heart rate helps you pace your workouts. Exercising at the right level of intensity will help you avoid burning out or wasting time with a workout that’s not vigorous enough to help you meet your goals.”

Training at your target heart rate has great benefits. You will improve your cardiovascular endurance, improve your lung capacity, increase your stamina and you will burn more calories which promotes weight loss.

The more you learn about your body, in this case your heart rate, the better you’ll be able to customize your workout routine to best benefit you. And we’re here to help you find where to start.

Source: uihc.org