How to Calculate Your Target Heart Rate for Aerobic Exercise

Exercising in your target heart rate zone helps you maximize exercise benefits while also lowering your risk of potential injury. For most people, exercising between 50 and 80 percent of their maximum heart rate is recommended to safely and effectively realize the health benefits associated with aerobic exercise. If you are new to exercise, start at the lower end of your target heart rate range and work toward the upper end as your fitness improves.

Tips and Warnings

• Stop exercising briefly to check your heart rate and determine if you are in your target heart rate zone. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends checking your pulse at your wrist. You can locate your radial artery on the thumb side of your wrist. Using the tips of your index and middle fingers, count the number of heartbeats in 60 seconds. You may also count the beats for 30 seconds and multiply this number by two.
• Consult with your doctor before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have been sedentary for some time. As you become more fit, slowly and gradually increase the intensity of your aerobic exercise. Because your target heart rate range is only an estimate, adjust your exercise intensity based on how you feel. If you feel you are exercising too hard, lower your intensity until your fitness improves. If you take medications that may affect your heart rate, talk to your doctor to determine your correct target heart rate zone.

References

• Cleveland Clinic; Pulse and Target Heart Rate; July 2010
• American Council on Exercise: Monitoring Exercise Intensity Using Heart Rate
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Physical Activity for Everyone -- Target Heart Rate and Estimated Maximum Heart Rate; March 2011