The cells in your body need a constant supply of oxygen. Your lungs and heart work every minute to meet that demand. When you exercise, your muscles expend more oxygen and need the heart and lungs to replace it quickly to continue their heightened activity. Keeping track of your heart rate and breathing rate during exercise will help you maximize the benefits of your workouts.
Heart Rate
For a rough estimate of the maximum number of times your heart can beat per minute -- your maximum heart rate -- subtract half your age from 210, then subtract 5 percent of your body weight. If you're a man, the sum is approximately your maximum heart rate. If you're a woman, add the number 4 and you'll have your maximum heart rate estimate. When you exercise, try to get your heart to beat up to a certain percentage of your maximum heart rate. Start at 50 to 60 percent if you've been inactive for a while and gradually increase the intensity. Professional athletes commonly get their hearts beating up to 85 percent of their maximum rate, but it's not necessary to work yourself that hard to lose weight and improve your health.
Checking Your Target Rate
To keep track of your target heart rate when exercising, stop working out at the peak of intensity and take your pulse for 10 seconds. To determine your beats per minute, multiply that number by six. If you find your heart rate varies when performing the same workout at the same intensity, make sure external factors aren't involved. Hot temperatures, humidity, medications, dehydration and improper diet may cause fluctuations. If these possibilities don't explain the variation, see a doctor.
Breathing Rate and Heart Rate
If you don't feel like stopping to take your pulse, your breathing rate provides an indication of your heart rate. During a workout, if you can sing a song comfortably, you're probably at about half your maximum heart rate. When your breathing rate becomes too labored for singing but you're still able to speak clearly, you're at approximately 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate. At 70 to 80 percent, you'll likely be struggling for breath but able to speak short sentences between gasps for air. Beyond 80 percent, your breathing rate will be too labored for speech.
Controlling Breathing Rate
Former Navy SEAL and fitness expert Stew Smith recommends controlling your breathing rate to get the most out of your workouts. If you're jogging or running, train yourself to inhale every three steps -- left, right, left -- and exhale in the following two steps -- right, left. For resistance exercises, such as pushups, pullups or weightlifting, always exhale while exerting force and inhale as you prepare for the next repetition. As you learn to control your breathing, your heart won't have to work as hard to oxygenate your muscles and your heart rate will decrease.
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