How to Figure Your Heart-Rate Range
By Kelli Calabrese MS, CSCS, ACE
Q I have been exercising for more than 20 years. Recently when I was at the health club, I was running on a treadmill next to someone who was also running. I noticed that this woman's heart rate was significantly lower then mine. Her HR never went above 150 while mine soared to 174 while running at 6 mph.
What is the physiological reason for this? Is there an exercise I should keep away from? Could this lead to health problems?
A Kelli Calabrese, exercise physiologist and spokeswoman for the American Council on Exercise, explains that many factors affect heart rate, including the person's age, intensity of the exercise (speed and incline), body weight, fitness level, duration of exercise and familiarity with exercise.
"There are many possible explanations as to why someone's heart rate might be higher or lower than yours," she said. "The important thing is to know where you should be.
"To give you an estimate of how to determine your heart-rate range, subtract your age from 220. Then, subtract your resting heart rate from that number. Next, multiply that number by .65 and then add your resting heart rate back in. That number is the lower end of your target heart rate."
To find the upper range, repeat the same process, substituting .90 for
.65.
Here's an example using a 40 year-old person with a resting heart rate
of 70. Begin with 220 - 40 (age) - 70 (resting heart rate). Multiply that
by .65 and then add 70 (resting heart rate), and the result is 141 beats
per minute for the lower end. For the higher end, again begin with 220 -
40 - 70, multiply by .90 and add 70 and the result is 169 beats per
minute. So the target heart range is between 141 and 169 beats per minute
during cardiovascular exercise.
If you want to avoid all that math, check out the calculator on Calabrese's Web site at www.kellicalabrese.com/karvonen_calculator.html
Expect the greatest increase in heart rate within the first one to three minutes of starting exercise. After that, the rate should stabilize unless you vary the intensity.
"One of the best ways to improve your health and fitness and maximize your calorie burn is to perform your exercise regimen with intervals where you vary the intensity of your heart rate," Calabrese said. "Accelerate rapidly to the peak of your heart-rate range and follow that by a recovery period where your heart rate returns to the lower number in the heart-rate range."
Elevating your heart rate with regular exercise doesn't cause problems, but results in many health and fitness benefits.
However, Calabrese stressed that running is a high impact activity and should be approached with caution. Keep in mind that if you have any unusual health symptoms while exercising you should always check with your physician.