Your heart rate during exercise will vary depending on the type of exercise, your goals, your level of fitness, your age and your sex. To benefit from aerobic exercise, increase your heart rate so it beats at a rate that equals at least half of its maximum capacity. After estimating your maximum heart rate, you will be able to choose a target heart rate, or a target heart rate range, to help you achieve your fitness goals.
Target Heart Rate Zones During Exercise
Exercising somewhere in the range between 70 and 90 percent of your maximum heart rate is considered optimal for aerobic conditioning, according to Dr. Jordan Moon, the department head of Sports Health and Fitness at the United States Sports Academy. The American Council on Exercise and the American Heart Association say that you can get a good workout with less intense effort. They suggest that raising your heart rate between 50 percent and 85 percent of its maximum will provide cardiovascular benefits.
Estimated Maximum Heart Rate
A man can get an estimate of his maximum heart rate by subtracting his age from 220. The resulting figure is not exact, but it should provide most men with a number close enough to the actual maximum to allow him to calculate effective heart rate goals during exercise. A woman can get an estimate of her maximum heart rate by subtracting 88 percent of her age from 206.
Examples of Target Heart Rates For Men
The American Heart Association offers examples of target heart rates based on a man's age. At age 25, the estimated maximum heart rate for a man is 195 beats per minute, or bpm. The target heart rate zone of 50 to 85 percent of maximum covers the range between 98 and 166 bpm. At age 35, the maximum heart rate is 185 bpm and the target is 93 to 157 bpm. At age 45, the maximum heart rate is 175 bpm; the target is 88 to 149 bpm. At age 55, the maximum heart rate is 165 bpm; the target is 83 to 140 bpm. At age 65, the maximum heart rate is 155 bpm, and the target is 78 to 132 bpm.
Examples of Target Heart Rates For Women
The maximum heart rate of a 25-year-old woman is 184 bpm. A target heart rate zone between 50 and 85 percent of maximum covers the range between 92 and 156 bpm. At age 35, the maximum heart rate is 175 bpm; the target is 88 to 149 bpm. At age 45, the maximum heart rate is 166 bpm; the target is 83 to 141 bpm. At age 55, the maximum heart rate is 158 bpm; the target is 79 to 134 bpm. At age 65, the max is 149 bpm and the target is 75 to 127 bpm.
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