Losing weight requires a combination of proper diet and exercise. For optimal benefits of exercise, including building cardiovascular strength and efficiency, experts recommend working hard enough to get your heart rate up to your target heart range. This range allows you to work out for a sustained period of time without becoming too tired and still reap the benefits of exercise.
Calculating Target Heart Rate
Your target heart range range is calculated by first determining your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. You multiply your maximum heart rate by 55 and 85 percent to determine your target heart rate range. If you are 40 years old, your maximum heart rate would be 180 (220 - 40 = 180) and your target heart rate range would be 99 and 153 (180 x 0.55 = 99, 180 x 0.85 = 153). Fitness experts recommend that you exercise at least 30 minutes, five times a week at your target heart rate range.
Exercising Below Target Heart Rate
All activity requires energy, therefore any exercise, even at a low heart rate, burns calories. However, working out below your target heart rate range slows down the weight-loss process because less calories are burned. According to Harvard Medical School's health publication, 30 minutes of jogging burns 180 to 266 calories depending on your weight. But running a 12-minute mile increases calorie burn to 240 to 355. The faster you run, the more calories you burn. Reducing your speed will slow down the weight loss unless you make it up by working out longer. You need to jog for 40 minutes to burn the same number of calories as running a 12-minute mile does in 30 minutes.
Exercising Above Target Heart Rate
The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you will burn. Exercising above your target heart rate will burn more calories than staying within the target range. However, exercising above your target heart rate range is difficult to sustain over time. It is the equivalent of sprinting. The target heart rate range works to pace your workout so you are working hard but not so hard that you tire quickly.
Interval Training
Interval training, which involves alternating your exertion level, burns more calories than working out within your target heart range. It has the benefits of burning many calories by working hard but gives you the ability to sustain your workout over time by providing recovery periods. While jogging, vigorous intervals can involve increasing your speed or jogging up hills, while the resting interval would involve jogging at a slower pace or on flat ground. The intervals can be performed for as little as 30 seconds or as much as two minutes apart.
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