Aerobic exercise raises your heart rate, causing your heart to become increasingly efficient over time. Aerobic exercise causes your body to use more oxygen and your heart pumps more to deliver oxygen to your muscles through your blood. Guidelines for the target heart rate during aerobic exercise use your age as the basis for estimating your maximum heart rate. A simple calculation gives you your recommended aerobic heart rate range.
Background
Your resting heart rate gives a clue about your fitness. A normal resting pulse is 60 to 100 beats per minute. An athlete's resting heart rate may be as low as 40 bpm. A physically fit person's heart doesn't have to work as hard. A fast heart rate puts more stress on the arteries. As you begin exercising, your heart rate increases. Warming up at the beginning of an aerobic session prepares your heart for exertion. A warm up consists of five to 10 minutes of slower-paced exercise. For example, walking at a relaxed pace or pedaling lightly on your bicycle.
Pulse
Taking your pulse, both at rest and during exercise, allows you to gauge the effect of aerobic exercise on your heart rate. To take your resting pulse, sit and relax. Rest the back of either hand on a table or the arm of a chair. Place two fingers on the inside of your wrist and find your pulse. Count the pulse for 10 seconds and multiply the result by six. This is your resting pulse. The climate, temperature, your emotions and caffeine intake can affect your pulse. You can also take your pulse at the side of your neck.
Estimating Your Heart Rate
Subtract your age from 220 to determine your maximum heart rate for exercise. Multiply your maximum heart rate by 60 percent and 80 percent for your target heart rate range. Aim for 60 percent if you've been sedentary and then progress to 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, with your doctor's approval. The talk test provides a convenient alternative for tracking your exercise intensity. Moderate-intensity exercise, for example walking at 3.5 mph, allows you to talk but not sing. During vigorous aerobic exercise, such as step aerobics, you should be able to speak a few words but not carry on a conversation.
Benefits
Exercising at your target heart rate increases your fitness and conditions your lungs, heart, circulation and muscles. Aerobic exercise is also called cardiorespiratory exercise. In addition to training your heart to pump more blood with each beat, it improves your lung capacity. Regular aerobic exercise can lower your resting heart rate. Exercising at your target heart rate range elevates your metabolism -- both during and for some time following your workout. Improving your metabolism's efficiency with aerobic exercise promotes weight loss when you need to lose weight and weight management throughout your life.
References
- American Heart Association; Blood Pressure vs. Heart Rate; January 2011
- Harvard Medical School; Slower Heart Rate May Translate Into Longer Life; December 2008
- Mayo Clinic; Heart Rate --- What's Normal?; Dr. Edward R. Laskowski; September 2010
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Measuring Physical Activity Intensity
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