Your heart is perhaps the most vital organ in your body and needs exercise just like your muscles do. The relationship between the exercise you do and your heart rate, the number of times your heart beats per minute, can tell you the intensity of your exercise and the effectiveness of your workout. Consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise program.
Cardiovascular Exercise
Cardiovascular exercise is simply defined as any type of exercise that raises your heart rate. The average person's heart beats between 60 and 80 times per minute, according to the American Heart Association. As you increase the intensity of your exercise, your heart beats faster to keep up with the blood flow and oxygen needs of your body. That's why measuring your heart rate as you exercise is an excellent way to measure the intensity of your workout.
Target Heart Rate
The target heart rate is a useful tool to help determine how intense your workout is and to help you pace yourself to avoid exhaustion or over-exertion. The target heart rate is based on a person's maximum heart rate, which decreases as a person gets older. A person's maximum heart rate is determined by a simple calculation: 220 minus age. From there, you can determine your target heart rate, or the zone in which you should strive to perform most of your cardiovascular exercise. Since your target heart rate zone is between 50 and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, you can simply multiply your maximum heart rate by .5 and .85 to get your optimal zone for exercising.
Checking Heart Rate
Understanding your target heart rate is one thing, but putting it to use in your workout is different. As you work out, you'll need to monitor your heart rate to determine if you're exercising within the target heart rate zone. The easiest way to do this is by using a heart rate monitor. Some exercise machines, such as elliptical trainers and treadmills, come equipped with heart rate monitors. You can also wear a heart rate monitor around your wrist or chest. If you don't have a heart rate monitor available, you can periodically check your pulse during your workout. Place two fingers on the side of your wrist or in the corner of your jaw until you feel your pulse. Count for 10 seconds and multiply your count by six, or count for 15 seconds and multiply by four.
Alternative to Heart Rate
Sometimes it's not possible or convenient to check your pulse in the middle of a workout. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can use the "talk test" to determine the intensity of your workout. If you can talk but not sing while exercising, you're doing moderate-intensity exercise. If you can't carry on a conversation with someone next to you without stopping to catch your breath, your exercise is vigorous.
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