Reach Your Weight Loss Goals 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 start heart rate training you must know what your maximum heart rate is as it will be the number that you use to determine your heart rate zones. However, before you get started learning what your maximum heart rate is, you should realistically judge which fitness category you fall within:
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.
After you have determined your fitness level, you can do the following test to find your maximum heart rate. While this test won’t give you your exact maximum heart rate, it will get you in the immediate vicinity.
One Mile Walking Test: Go to a local track, or use a treadmill to walk at an even and steady pace for one mile. Take your heart rate during the last leg of your mile. If you are in poor shape, add 40. If you are in fair shape, add 50. If you are in good shape, add 60.
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.
Heart Rate Training Zones
The good news about heart rate training is it is short and intense. Routines should last between 20-30 minutes and you should rotate in and out of your individual heart rate zones throughout.
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: In this zone your heart rate is 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate and you may have trouble talking, unless it is in short sentences.
Aerobic Zone: In this zone your heart rate is 70%-80% of your maximum heart rate and you should only be able to speak in phrases.
Anaerobic Zone: You are getting close to your maximum heart rate and your breathing is very heavy and labored. Your heart rate is at 80%-90% of your maximum heart rate.
Red Line Zone: You will only be able to stay within this zone for a few minutes, and you probably won’t be able to speak at all. If you do, it will be a gasped word or two that may be hard to understand. Your heart rate is on target for your maximum heart rate goal.
Heart rate training is a great way to reach your weight loss or training goals faster. Using a quality treadmill, or other exercise machine, that is equipped with a heart rate control monitor is by far the easiest way to heart rate train. These machines enable you to know exactly what is going on with your heart rate so you can effectively move in and out of your heart rate zones.