Running isn't just about pumping your legs as hard or as long as you can -- your body undergoes changes when you run, and maintaining the proper heart rate is key to an effective workout. If your running heart rate is too high or too low, you might not make progress as quickly as you want to -- or you could injure yourself. Your age has an influence on the ideal heart rate while exercising, so there is no "one size fits all" solution -- you just have to determine what is best for you.
Definition
Your heart rate is simply the number of times your heart beats per minute. Monitoring this number is crucial to ensuring that your running workout is effective -- if you aren't in the proper range, you could be wasting your time or even doing more harm than good. For this reason, many treadmills are equipped with sensors that monitor your heart rate, and portable heart rate monitors can be worn for running outside of the gym.
Heart Rate Maximum
Your heart rate maximum (HRmax) is, as its name suggests, the maximum heart rate you should attain. The most common formula for determining your HRmax is to subtract your age from 220. A 50-year-old man, for example, would have an HRmax of 170. This is not a perfect or scientific formula -- it is simply a guideline for determining an approximate HRmax (See References 2).
Zones One and Two
Different ranges of heart rates are utilized in different types of training. The National Academy of Sports Medicine divides these ranges into three zones. In zone one, the athlete performs at 65 to 75 percent of his maximum heart rate. This improves lung and heart capacity, and is typically used for warm-ups and cool-downs before and after a workout, respectively. Zone two sees the athlete performing between 80 and 85 percent of HR max to increase anaerobic and aerobic capacity for extended periods -- at least 20 minutes.
Zone Three
Zone three is the highest heart rate zone you should work out in -- and when you do, it shouldn't be for long. This calls for the athlete to exercise between 86 and 90 percent of her HR max, which increases metabolism, speed and power while increasing endurance. For runners, this includes activity like sprinting that are only performed for short periods, as over-training can lead to personal injury. For that reason, zone three is typically only used in interval training.
Interval Training
Interval training is the practice of alternating high and low-intensity exercises in the same workout. By alternating between different heart rate zones, it gives your body the balance of intense and moderate exercise that it needs. For example, a runner's interval training workout may consist of a 15-minute warm-up in Zone One, several sets of Zone Three sprinting and finally a 10-minute cool-down back in Zone One (See References 3).
References
- Ask Men: Burn Fat with the Karvonen Formula
- "NASM's Essentials of Sports Performance Training"; Micheal A. Clark, DPT, MS, PES, CES, Scott C. Lucett, MS, PES, CES, NASM - CPT; 2010
- "Shape Magazine": Interval Training - Short Workouts that Really Pay Off
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