Over the past few months, home workouts has flooded the Internet. Newcomers to fitness might wonder how to choose the best workout, appropriate intensity level and often, useful fitness equipment. Heart rate training might be a good choice for many.
Monitoring your heart rate is a good way to determine your level of conditioning as you progress in your fitness plan. Here's an example:
- You jog or run a half mile for the first time at a slow pace, let's say 40% of your capacity. Your heart rate will probably be fairly high when you finish---maybe 165 beats per minute (bpm).
- You do the same workout on a regular basis for several weeks and at the end of the workout, you check your heart rate. Now that your body has grown accustomed to the workout, your heart rate should be <165 bpm.
Do you know your resting and maximum heart rate? Here's how to get that data.
Resting Heart Rate
Check your resting heart rate when you wake up in the morning. Simply check your pulse. Read the Mayo Clinic article on resting heart rate for more information.
Maximum Heart Rate
Calculate by subtracting your current age from 220. For example, if you are 40, your maximum heart rate would be 180. Check out the article from Men's Health for other methods to determine your maximum heart rate based on your age and other factors.
Tool Up
Do you have a wearable fitness device or mobile app that you use for fitness tracking? Read PC Mag's fitness tracker comparison for some ideas.
Using your resting and maximum heart rate data helps you to find your target range for heart rate training. In addition, understanding your normal heart rate during exercise can also help determine nutritional deficiencies, fatigue and illness. Did you know that your heart might beat faster when you are dehydrated? Or that thyroid disorders can also affect your heart rate? For general heart information, check out this Harvard Health article.
Listen to your heart and stay GameReady.
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