Sunday, April 15, 2012

Heart Rate During Exercise

Heart Rate During Exercise

Proper pacing during exercise or target heart rate during exercise is extremely important to receive the benefits of exercise. If you want to know what is average or healthy heart rate during exercise, read the following article.


Heart rate is nothing but the number of times a heart beats per minute (BPM). The normal heart rate varies from person to person depending upon the age, overall health and physical activity performed by the person. Heart rate is not constant all the time and it fluctuates because of change in physical and mental stress. Your heart supplies oxygenated blood to all parts of the body and as the demand for blood and oxygen increases, the heart has to beat faster to meet the needs of the body. Thus, heart rate depends on the demand of blood in the body. The heart rate during exercise is therefore high and it is low while resting. If you've been inactive, then measuring your heart rate during exercise is especially important. You should not get tired quickly. For this, you should be aware of target and average heart rate during exercise.


Average Heart Rate During Exercise


The normal resting heart rate for children (6-15 years) is 70 to 100 BPM. The normal adult heart rate is about 60 to 100 BPM at rest. This resting heart rate increases with age. Healthy individuals, whose hearts function efficiently and who enjoy cardiovascular fitness, have a comparatively lower heart rate. If your body is conditioned and toned, less beats per minute will be required to pump blood to your body. You might be surprised to know that in a well-trained athlete, the heart rate may be as low as 40 to 60 BPM. Does heart rate increase during exercise? Yes, the heart rate during exercise will be higher than the normal heart rate.


The maximum heart rate or Max HR is useful to measure the training intensities of an athlete, as it is measured individually. The maximum heart rate (Max HR) is obtained when you subtract your age from 220. So, if you are 35 years old, it would be 185. The average and healthy heart rate during exercise would be around 50 to 60% of your maximum heart rate. So, for a 35 year old individual the average and healthy heart rate will be somewhere around 92 and 110. Slight variation depending upon the sex and the constitution of the individual is considered as normal. It is better if you can stay within 50 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate during exercise. Read more on how to determine target heart rate.


Target Heart Rate During Exercise


As mentioned above, staying within 50 to 85 percent of your max HR is recommended. This range is known as your target heart rate during exercise. The following table shows the estimated target heart rates during workouts for different ages. The figures are averages, so you should use them as general guidelines.


Age


Target Heart Rate Zone (50-85%)


Average Maximum Heart Rate (100 %)


20 years


100-170 BPM


200 BPM


25 years


98-166 BPM


195 BPM


30 years


95-162 BPM


190 BPM


35 years


93-157 BPM


185 BPM


40 years


90-153 BPM


Heart Rate During Exercise

180 BPM


45 years


88-149 BPM


175 BPM


50 years


85-145 BPM


170 BPM


55 years


83-140 BPM


165 BPM


60 years


80-136 BPM


160 BPM


65 years


78-132 BPM


155 BPM


70 years


75-128 BPM


150 BPM


Read more on:


Optimal Heart Rate


Ideal Heart Rate to Burn Fat


If you are taking high blood pressure medicines, you should consult your physician for the ideal heart rate during exercise. You may like to read more on blood pressure during exercise.


I hope you find the above information helpful. Your heart rate during exercise reflects your overall health and also the health of your heart. You should try to keep your heart rate slow and steady.

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