How do you know your heart is pumping hard enough to get stronger but not so hard that you’re overdoing it? That’s where knowing your target heart rate can help. Your target heart rate is a range, or a window, that indicates whether you’re working your body efficiently.

So how do you determine your appropriate workout level? Well, your target heart rate depends on your age and your fitness goals. “If your goal is simply to lower your risk of chronic disease, there is no reason to exercise at more than 50 to 60 percent of your target heart rate,” says James Rippe. “If your goal is weight management, our recommendation is 60 to 80 percent of your predicted maximum heart rate.” The bottom line here: if you want to burn fat and reduce calories, you must figure out what your maximum efficiency range is and stay within it during your workout.

HERE’S HOW TO FIND YOUR TARGET (ESTIMATED) RANGE:
1. Estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. If you’re forty-five, your maximum heart rate is 175 beats per minute. That’s the absolute ceiling.

2. Find your training heart rate. For the most effective aerobic workout, you must train between 60 and 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. To find the rate you want, multiply each percentage times your maximum heart rate. If you’re forty-five and want to train. At 60 to 80 percent of your maximum rate, then .60 x 175 = 105 heartbeats per minute. This is the low end of your training range, and ..80 x 175 = 140 bpm, which is the high end.


3. To calculate your range while working out, divide your training heart rate by six: 105/6 = 17.5 —140/6 = 23.3. Your range is 17 to 23 beats every ten seconds. Take your pulse for ten seconds during exercise. If you’re working within your target heart rate range, 17 to 23 beats every ten seconds will indicate effective aerobic training. If your pulse rate is below the lowest number, you must work harder to be effective. If it’s higher, you are working out at a dangerous level and must reduce the level of intensity.

Source: HEALTHY LIVING by Joan Lunden & Laura Morton