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HEART RATE
As you exercise, your heart beat increases. This is often used as a measure of the required intensity
of an exercise. You need to exercise hard enough to condition your circulatory system, and
increase your pulse rate, but not enough to strain your heart.
Your initial level of fitness is important when developing an exercise program for you. When
starting, you can get a good training effect with a heart rate of 110-120 beats per minute (BPM). If
you are more fit, you will need a higher threshold of stimulation.
To begin with, you should exercise at a level that elevates your heart rate to about 65 to 70% of
your maximum. If you find this is too easy, you may want to increase it, but it is better to lean on
the conservative side.
As a rule of thumb, the maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. As you increase in age, your
heart, like other muscles, loses some of its efficiency. Some of its natural loss is won back as fitness
improves. The following table is a guide to those who are "starting fitness. "
Age Target Heart Rate
10 Second Count
23
Beats per Minute
138
PULSE COUNT
The pulse count (on your wrist or carotid artery in the neck, taken with two index fingers) is
done for ten seconds, taken a few seconds after you stop exercising. This is for two reasons: (a) 10
seconds is long enough for accuracy, (b) the pulse count is to approximate your BPM rate at the
time you are exercising. Since heart rate slows as you recover, a longer count isn't as accurate.
The target is not a magic number, but a general guide. If you're above average with your fitness,
you may work comfortably a little above that suggested for your age group. The following table is
a guide.
Age Target Heart Rate
10 Second Count
26
Beats per Minute
156
Don't push yourself too hard to reach the figures on this table. It can be very uncomfortable if you
over exercise. Let it happen naturally as you work through your program. Remember, the target is
a guide, not a rule, a little above or below is just fine.
Two final comments: (1) don't be concerned with day to day variations in your pulse rate, being
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25
30
35
22
22
21
132
132
126
25
30
35
26
25
24
156
150
144
40
45
50
55
20
19
19
18
120
114
114
108
40
45
50
55
23
22
22
21
138
132
132
126
60
65
18
108
60
65
20
120
11
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