Your heart beats approximately 60 to 80 times each minute, so keeping track of each beat would be extremely difficult. However, you can buy fitness monitors that will count every heart beat and every step you take. Some heart rate monitors are available with attached pedometers, also known as step counters.
Step 1
Determine your calorie-burning target heart rate (THR) by using the following formula: 220 minus age equals your maximum heart rate (MHR). Multiply MHR by 0.60 and 0.80. Put on your heart rate monitor and attach your pedometer to your waist band.
Step 2
Participate in your daily activities and periodically check your heart rate monitor. Observe your heart rate to see whether you are in your THR range. You are burning calories with every step, and you burn more calories when your heart rate is within your THR range.
Step 3
Aim to complete 10,000 steps each day, which equals approximately 5 miles of walking. Increase your steps between 12,000 and 15,000 for advanced weight loss. Spend 45 to 60 minutes of fast-paced walking within your THR range.
Step 4
Choose stairs instead of elevators and park farther away from work and store fronts to increase the number of steps you take throughout the day. Move quickly at the grocery store and view your heart rate monitor to see whether you can increase your pace into your THR, or calorie burning, zone.
Step 5
Use a chart, such as the physical activity tracker provided by the American Heart Association (see References), to keep track of your daily steps and time spent in your THR zone. Add up the amounts weekly and also track your weight loss to view the correlation between activity and weight reduction.
Things You'll Need
- Heart rate monitor
- Pedometer
Member Comments