It's important to know how fast your heart is beating while you exercise. Too fast, and you might be endangering your health. Too slow, and you're not getting enough cardio benefits. But there's not one answer to what is a normal exercise pulse. The ideal heart rate during exercise depends on your age and other factors.
Calculating Your Target Heart Rate
To calculate your target heart rate, first you determine your maximum heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is as fast as your heart could possibly go during exercise. This formula is often used: 220 minus your age equals your maximum heart rate. So the maximum heart rate for a 40 year old would be about 180/heartbeats per minute. This varies person to person and can be determined exactly with a medical test. You don't want your heart rate operating at its maximum. Your target heart rate is usually 60 to 80 percent of your maximal capacity.
Finding Your Heart Rate
You can take your pulse by placing your index and second fingers on the side of your neck by the windpipe. Press just hard enough to feel your blood pulsing beneath your skin. Use a stopwatch or watch with a second hand to time six seconds. Multiply that number by ten. So if you're 40 years old and your heart rate is between 108 and 148 during exercise, you're working in that targeted area of 60-80 percent of maximum heart rate. If you want a more exact reading, you can wear a heart rate monitor. These are usually two pieces. A rubber strap attaches around your chest and sends a radio signal to a watch on your wrist.
Pacing
You'll want to pace yourself during exercise, especially if you've been sedentary for a while. Start your workouts at the lower end of the targeted zone. If you have additional health concerns, your doctor might even say to start at 50 percent of maximum heart rate. If you overdo it initially, you might get discouraged and quit. So try to make your exercise as pleasant as possible. Over time, as your fitness increases, you can work into a higher area of the target heart rate zone.
Other Measurements
There are other ways to rate your exertion level besides taking your pulse. The perceived exertion scale, also called the Borg rating, considers how hard it feels like you're working, with seven being extremely light, and 20 being maximum exertion. Another simple test is checking on your breathing. If you feel like you're working but can still talk, you're probably in the right zone. If you can maintain your effort level while singing, you probably aren't working hard enough. If you're short of breath, you're working too hard.
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