Exercise requires your heart to pump more blood to the skeletal muscles. According to the American Council On Exercise (ACE), to adequately monitor exercise intensity levels you need to monitor your heart rate or perceived exertion (RPE) level. How you monitor your intensity level depends on your personal preference.
Monitoring Heart Rate
ACE states that your heart rate response to exercise will vary depending on the level of intensity you use. What one person considers high intensity may be a low or moderate intensity for another person. According to ACE, monitoring your heart rate is the most accurate way to be certain you are working out at an intensity that will give you the most cardiovascular benefits.
Maximum Heart Rate
According to the ACE, you estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. ACE states that this number decreases as a person ages, because the heart beats slower as the body grows older.
Target Heart Rate
According to the American Heart Association, to have the most beneficial workout you should maintain your heart rate between 50 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. Calculate the lower value of your target heart rate by multiplying your maximum heart rate by 0.50. Calculate the higher value of your target heart rate by multiplying your maximum heart rate by 0.85. The American Heart Association recommends that you workout at 50 percent of your maximum heart rate when you first start an exercise program. Gradually increase your intensity after a few weeks, when you are comfortable with your workout routine.
How To Monitor Heart Rate
To determine your heart rate, ACE recommends that you use either your radial artery or your carotid artery. Feel the radial artery by placing two fingers of one hand on the wrist of the other hand at the base of the thumb. Feel the carotid artery by placing two fingers on the neck, just to the side of the Adam's apple. Once you locate the artery, count the number of beats for 10 seconds. Determine your heart rate by multiplying this number by six. Monitor your heart rate throughout your workout and at the end. ACE suggests that the target heart rate range is simply an estimate. If you feel you are working too hard, decrease your intensity.
Rate Of Perceived Exertion (RPE)
Some people find that monitoring their heart rate is too difficult. If this is the case, you can monitor your intensity level using a RPE scale. According to ACE, RPE is based on a scale of 0 to 10 where 0 is resting, a moderate walking pace is 3 and running up a steep hill is 10. Be sure to base your RPE on how you feel due to the exercise, not on how fast or hard you exercise. Ace recommends that you keep your RPE between 3 (moderate) and 5 (strong).
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