Monitoring your heart rate is a way to measure the intensity of your exercise, as well as track your progress. As you become more fit, your endurance will increase, and your resting pulse may become slower as your cardiovascular health improves. You may find that you can work out for longer periods of time and get your heart pumping harder. Check with your doctor before you begin exercising to discuss any heart rate concerns.
Importance of Monitoring Your Heart Rate
Healthy adults should aim to work out at a moderate to vigorous pace, but these terms can be highly subjective. What may feel easy for you may be difficult for someone else, or vice versa. But if you monitor your heart rate during exercise, you will gain a more objective understanding of how hard you are working out. Rather than compare the intensity of your exercise activity to someone else's, using personal indicators like your pulse, sweat and how you feel overall can help you test your endurance and measure your progress.
Resting Heart Rate
Your resting heart rate is the measurement of your pulse when you are not moving, and for most adults, it should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute. This number may vary slightly, and generally speaking, a lower resting heart rate means you are more physically fit. If your resting heart rate is slower than average, you may also have a slower heart rate while working out. However, if your pulse is consistently above 100 or below 60 when you are at rest, seek medical attention, since you may have a medical condition.
Target Heart Rate Zone
When exercising, keep your pulse within your target heart rate zone. Not only will this ensure that you are working out hard enough to reap the benefits of exercise, but it will also keep you from pushing yourself too hard and becoming quickly fatigued. You can find your target heart rate zone by first subtracting your age from 220, which results in your maximum heart rate, then multiplying that number by 0.5 and 0.85, according to the American Heart Association. For example, a 32-year-old would have a maximum heart rate of 188 and a target heart rate zone of 94 to 160 beats per minute.
Improving Your Endurance Level
Don't fret if you cannot work out within your target heart rate zone for an extended period of time. If you are new to exercise, you may only be able to perform the activity for five to 10 minutes, according to MayoClinic.com. Starting slowly will help improve your endurance level without risking injury and can keep you from becoming discouraged. You may begin with something as simple as a 10-minute walk around the block, gradually increasing the length and speed over several weeks. Keep adding on until you are working out within your target heart rate zone and develop the endurance to go for miles at a time.
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