How to Measure Exercise Intensity
Find your resting heart rate., Determine your maximum heart rate., Calculate your heart rate reserve (HRR)., Find your exercise target range.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find your resting heart rate.
Your heart rate is the number of times your heart contracts, or beats, each minute.
Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm) when you are at rest.For best results, get your heart rate soon after you wake up in the morning.
Use a heart-rate monitor or take your pulse on your wrist or using the carotid artery in your neck.
Use your index and third fingers to measure your pulse, not your thumb.
Place these fingers on your neck beside your windpipe to use your carotid artery, or between the bone and tendon on the thumb-side of your wrist to use your radial artery.
Before you start counting, set a timer to go off after 30 seconds.
You won't be able to count beats and keep track of the time as well.
You also can use a watch with a second hand, provided you can look at it without losing count of the beats.
When 30 seconds is up, take the number of beats you counted and multiply it by two to find your resting heart rate.
The average adult has a resting heart rate somewhere between 60 and 100 bpm.
If the number you get is way outside that range, you may want to check your pulse again to make sure you didn't lose count.
Keep in mind that your resting heart rate can change over time, especially if you start engaging in regular exercise or make other lifestyle changes.
Measure it once a week so you can adjust your calculations as needed. -
Step 2: Determine your maximum heart rate.
Your maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate you can achieve without severe problems.
The maximum doesn't really change relative to your physical fitness, but it does decrease with age.However, attaining your maximum heart rate will require less exertion if you are not very physically fit.
The intensity of your exercise is measured as a percentage of your maximum heart rate.
To find your maximum heart rate, take your age and subtract it from
220.
For example, if you are 30 years old, your maximum heart rate would be 190 (220 – 30 = 190). , Your HRR is the difference between your resting heart rate and your maximum heart rate.
This number represents the amount of heartbeats available for you to safely exercise.To find your HRR, subtract your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate.
For example, if you are 30 years old and had a resting heart rate of 75 bpm, your HRR would be 115 bpm (maximum heart rate of 190 bpm – resting heart rate of 75 bpm = 115 bpm). , For moderate-intensity exercise, your heart rate should be between 50 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Vigorous exercise means your heart rate is from 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.Calculate the low end of your target range by multiplying your HRR by 50 percent (0.5) and adding that number to your resting heart rate.
To continue with the previous example, a 30-year-old with an HRR of 115 bpm and a resting heart rate of 75 bpm would need a heart rate of at least
132.5 bpm (115 x
0.5 =
57.5;
57.5 + 75 =
132.5) for the activity in which they were engaging to qualify as moderate-intensity exercise.
From there, you can decide what you want your high end to be.
If you want to stay in the moderate-intensity range, perform the same calculation using 70 percent.
To find your target for vigorous-intensity exercise, perform the same calculation, but multiply your HRR 80 percent.
Especially if you're just starting an exercise program after leading a mostly sedentary lifestyle, it can be helpful to find the number for the top end of the vigorous-intensity range so you'll know if you're overdoing it. -
Step 3: Calculate your heart rate reserve (HRR).
-
Step 4: Find your exercise target range.
Detailed Guide
Your heart rate is the number of times your heart contracts, or beats, each minute.
Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute (bpm) when you are at rest.For best results, get your heart rate soon after you wake up in the morning.
Use a heart-rate monitor or take your pulse on your wrist or using the carotid artery in your neck.
Use your index and third fingers to measure your pulse, not your thumb.
Place these fingers on your neck beside your windpipe to use your carotid artery, or between the bone and tendon on the thumb-side of your wrist to use your radial artery.
Before you start counting, set a timer to go off after 30 seconds.
You won't be able to count beats and keep track of the time as well.
You also can use a watch with a second hand, provided you can look at it without losing count of the beats.
When 30 seconds is up, take the number of beats you counted and multiply it by two to find your resting heart rate.
The average adult has a resting heart rate somewhere between 60 and 100 bpm.
If the number you get is way outside that range, you may want to check your pulse again to make sure you didn't lose count.
Keep in mind that your resting heart rate can change over time, especially if you start engaging in regular exercise or make other lifestyle changes.
Measure it once a week so you can adjust your calculations as needed.
Your maximum heart rate is the highest heart rate you can achieve without severe problems.
The maximum doesn't really change relative to your physical fitness, but it does decrease with age.However, attaining your maximum heart rate will require less exertion if you are not very physically fit.
The intensity of your exercise is measured as a percentage of your maximum heart rate.
To find your maximum heart rate, take your age and subtract it from
220.
For example, if you are 30 years old, your maximum heart rate would be 190 (220 – 30 = 190). , Your HRR is the difference between your resting heart rate and your maximum heart rate.
This number represents the amount of heartbeats available for you to safely exercise.To find your HRR, subtract your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate.
For example, if you are 30 years old and had a resting heart rate of 75 bpm, your HRR would be 115 bpm (maximum heart rate of 190 bpm – resting heart rate of 75 bpm = 115 bpm). , For moderate-intensity exercise, your heart rate should be between 50 and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Vigorous exercise means your heart rate is from 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.Calculate the low end of your target range by multiplying your HRR by 50 percent (0.5) and adding that number to your resting heart rate.
To continue with the previous example, a 30-year-old with an HRR of 115 bpm and a resting heart rate of 75 bpm would need a heart rate of at least
132.5 bpm (115 x
0.5 =
57.5;
57.5 + 75 =
132.5) for the activity in which they were engaging to qualify as moderate-intensity exercise.
From there, you can decide what you want your high end to be.
If you want to stay in the moderate-intensity range, perform the same calculation using 70 percent.
To find your target for vigorous-intensity exercise, perform the same calculation, but multiply your HRR 80 percent.
Especially if you're just starting an exercise program after leading a mostly sedentary lifestyle, it can be helpful to find the number for the top end of the vigorous-intensity range so you'll know if you're overdoing it.
About the Author
Rachel Griffin
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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