Your maximum heart rate is the number of times per minute your heart beats when you are exerting in an all-out physical effort. Maximum heart rate is useful as a baseline figure for calculating target heart rates for exercise programs. The most accurate way to measure maximum heart rate is to undergo a stress test designed so that you will maximize your heart rate. You should be in fairly good physical condition before trying to take a stress test because you must run for several minutes at increasing speeds until you are going flat out.
Step 1
Estimate your maximum heart rate. Subtract your age from 220. If you are female, use 226 instead. For example, a 30-year-old male would have an estimated maximum heart rate of 190 beats per minute.
Step 2
Wear a heart monitor, and choose a running route that is uphill. Alternatively, use a treadmill set to an incline of 3 to 5 degrees.
Step 3
Run at an easy pace for about 15 minutes or until you are warmed up.
Step 4
Start the test by increasing your pace until your heart rate is 40 beats below your estimated maximum heart rate. This should take about one minute.
Step 5
Increase your pace at the end of the first minute enough to raise your heart rate another 10 beats per minute at the end of the second minute of the test. Do the same during the third minute and again during the fourth minute. At this point, your heart rate should be just 10 beats per minute below your estimated maximum.
Step 6
Run all out for the fifth minute. Exert maximum effort. Your measured heart rate at the end of the fifth minute is your maximum heart rate.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have or are at risk for heart or coronary artery disease, do not attempt to maximize your heart rate without clearance from your health-care provider. Not all exercise stress tests are designed to maximize your heart rate. For example, the Bruce stress test is the most common treadmill stress test used by medical professionals to evaluate patients and detect heart problems. While many people will "max out" during this test, a person in excellent physical condition may complete the test without reaching the maximum heart rate.
Things You'll Need
- Treadmill
- Heart rate monitor
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