| Anyone who has ever become involved in | | | | needed to do to run everything properly. They |
| exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has probably | | | | used me because I was a well conditioned |
| heard the term "target heart rate" or "target | | | | triathlete and a little stupid too. Believe me, those |
| heart range" or THR. This is a very important | | | | tests are tough, and you don't want to go |
| concept for anyone who is involved in an exercise | | | | through one unless you absolutely have to. |
| program or someone who wants to start a | | | | The reason you need to know your MHR is that |
| program. Unfortunately, some exercise | | | | it is used to determine your THR for different |
| professionals gloss over this concept and don't let | | | | exercise goals. What do we mean when we say |
| people know just how important it is. My wife | | | | "different exercise goals"? Some people are going |
| belongs to a Jazzercise group and she tells me | | | | to exercise just to stay or get healthy. Others will |
| that the instructors hardly bring up the need for | | | | want to exercise to lose weight. And, still others |
| monitoring your THR during an exercise session | | | | may be exercising to increase their aerobic or |
| (my wife wears a heart rate monitor to keep | | | | anaerobic capabilities for a certain sport |
| checks on her THR all the time, so I guess I've | | | | (swimming, sprinting, marathons, etc.). Whatever |
| had a positive influence on her in that respect). I | | | | these goals are, the THR to achieve them is going |
| sure am glad that I'm not the insurance company | | | | to be different. If someone just wants to use |
| handling the liability insurance for this group. You | | | | aerobic exercise to help become or stay healthy, |
| see, not monitoring your THR can actually be | | | | a good THR for them might be 65% - 80% of |
| dangerous. And, not only can it be dangerous for | | | | their MHR. Using our 60 year old male whose MHR |
| mature people, but it can also be dangerous for | | | | is 160, his THR for staying healthy would be 160 |
| younger people too. | | | | x 65% = 104, 160 x 80% = 128, so his range |
| So, let's look at the concept of THR and why it is | | | | would be 104 - 128 heart beats per minute (this is |
| so important. Under normal circumstances, the | | | | measured by taking your pulse). If he wants to |
| human heart can only beat so many beats per | | | | lose weight, he might use a THR of 60% - 70% |
| minute. If it goes above or below these certain | | | | of his MHR because this level will burn more fat. |
| parameters, it usually means that something is | | | | And, don't forget, monitoring your heart rate isn't |
| wrong, and that's one of the reasons we need to | | | | only to achieve your exercise goals. It is |
| know what it is. For the average person, a simple | | | | important that you keep track of your heart rate |
| rule of thumb to determine your maximum heart | | | | so that if anything unusual starts to happen while |
| rate (MHR) is to subtract your age from 220 | | | | you're exercising you will be able to stop. |
| (women can use 210). Example: a 60 year old | | | | A really convenient way to keep track of your |
| male can calculate his MHR by taking 220 - 60 = | | | | target heart rate is with a heart rate monitor. |
| 160, so his MHR is 160. A 60 year old female | | | | These can cost anywhere from about $60 up to |
| would take 210 - 60 = 150, so her MHR is 150. | | | | $250 and more depending on how many bells and |
| Keep in mind that this is just a rule of thumb. If | | | | whistles you want. You can also just take your |
| you want to find out what your exact MHR is, | | | | pulse at your wrist or neck (how to do that is |
| you will need to have a doctor put you through | | | | food for another article), several times during an |
| an aerobic exercise test to exhaustion (a "max | | | | exercise session to make sure you stay within |
| test"), which isn't usually worth while for most of | | | | your range. |
| us. When I was in graduate school they would put | | | | Knowing your THR and MHR is very important, |
| me through a "max test" about once every other | | | | both for safety and for appropriate exercise goal |
| week to give the other students a chance to see | | | | setting. Learn what they are, and monitor them |
| how all the equipment worked and what they | | | | regularly. |