Understanding heart rate and exertion
When you’re first starting out with an exercise program, it’s normal to wonder what your heart rate and exertion level should be. Is your heart rate too high? You may be concerned that you might overdo it. Before beginning an exercise program, be sure to talk to your doctor. Make sure your doctor is aware of what you want to do and get his or her clearance before starting.
The two fitness modalities that are central to one’s heart rate and exertion level with exercising include cardiovascular health and endurance. Though many people think cardiovascular exercise is the key to losing weight, it’s really about building greater endurance, being active, and having a stronger heart and respiratory system to live a long, healthy life.
There are two ways to measure exertion. One is with heart rate and other is through feel. To measure your heart rate, you can opt to use a heart rate monitor. Some pieces of equipment in the gym may even have a heart rate monitor included. You can also use a wearable heart rate monitor which will collect the data. These are a great way to know when you’re getting a good workout and can be especially useful when doing high intensity interval training. To measure through feel, use a scale of one to 10.
To get a better look at these exertion zones and the corresponding heart beat levels and feel levels, visit older.fitness/zones. There you will find the formula to calculate your maximum heartrate at any point. The various activity ranges include the basic range, the fat-burning range, the aerobic range, the anaerobic range, and the maximum range. When you’re first starting out, you should not be doing any work in the maximum range more than once per week. Over time, you will get more comfortable with pushing the boundary with your heart rate and exertion levels.
