Is Your Workout on Target?

Research shows that even moderate activity, such as golf, dancing, or yard work, can lower some risk for disease. But vigorous activities are best for heart health. Activities such as brisk walking, running, swimming, and jumping rope raise your heart rate and sustain it. Other good bets are bicycling, roller-skating, tennis, soccer, and basketball. 

How can you be sure that your workout is on target for heart health? Experts recommend that adults exercise in their target heart range for at least 20 minutes, three to five times a week. Reaching this range can help you get the greatest health rewards for your heart and the rest of your body. To calculate the range that’s right for you, subtract your age from 220. The result is your maximum heart rate. For example, if you are 40 years old, your maximum heart rate is 180. Your target range is 50 – 75 percent of that number, or between 90 and 135 heartbeats per minute.

To see if your heart rate is within your target range, count how many times your heart beats per minute during your workout. Stop during your workout and count your heartbeats: 

Find your pulse on your neck, wrist, or the base of your thumb.
Use your watch to count your pulse for 10 seconds. Multiply that number by six.

When you stop exercising, your pulse does not immediately return to normal. Rather, it slowly returns to your resting rate. The more fit you become, the more quickly your pulse will fall.

Source: The Christ Hospital Heart Matters Winter 2006