1. Target Your Heart Rate
During exercise your heart rate increases, and when you rest it slows down. With improved physical fitness your heart is able to pump blood and oxygen through the body more efficiently, and it doesn't have to work as hard during exercise. A target heart rate in beats per minute is a useful tool for setting exercise goals and measuring progress whether you are training for athletic events, trying to lose weight or working toward health improvement. You want to exercise at 50 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate. The Karvonen method allows you to calculate your target heart rate for use in your fitness program.
2. Find Your Resting Pulse
The first step in calculating your Karvonen target heart rate is determining your resting heart rate. Check your pulse in the morning before you get out of bed. Measure your pulse at your wrist or at the carotid artery on the side of your neck. Count the number of beats in 1 minute. Do this for 3 days in a row and average your results, because your heart rate may vary a bit from one measurement to the next.
3. Do the Math
Many fitness websites have automatic Karvonen calculators that you can use for free if you know your resting heart rate, but you also calculate it yourself. Subtract your age from 220, which is your maximum heart rate. Subtract your resting heart rate from your maximum heart rate. Multiply the result by 50 percent (.50) and then add your resting heart rate to find your minimum target heart rate. Then multiply that same number by 80 percent (.80) and add your resting heart rate to find your maximum target heart rate.
4. Match Your Heart Rates to Your Goals
Practice some general rules of thumb when incorporating a target heart rate into your fitness program. If you are new to exercise or recovering from injury or illness, aim for a heart rate in the lower end of your target range. Athletes who are very fit, on the other hand, can work out at 80 to 85 percent of their maximum heart rate. You should exercise at 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate to lose weight, 70 to 80 percent to increase aerobic capacity and above 80 percent if you are an athlete in training.
5. When Pushing Your Heart isn't Healthy
Many things besides fitness can influence your heart rate. Stress can make even a resting heart rate go up. Dehydration can also increase your heart rate, so it is important to drink plenty of water when exercising. Environmental factors, such as heat and altitude, can increase your heart rate until your body adjusts to those conditions.
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