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TARGET HEART RATE
Finding your pulse:
To make sure your heart is beating in its target zone, you’ll need to know how to monitor your heart rate. The easiest way is to feel the pulse in the carotid artery on either side of your neck, between the windpipe and the large neck muscles. Count the number of beats in ten seconds, and then multiply that number by six. This gives you the number of beats per minute.
How fast should your heart beat during aerobic exercise? Fast enough to reach and stay in its “target zone,” a range of beats per minute that is largely determined by your age and physical condition. To determine your target zone, consult the chart we have provided.
YOUR HEART RATE in beats per minute
FIND YOUR TARGET HEART RATE
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
20 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 | 70 |
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| YOUR AGE in years |
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ADVANCED: Sports, athletic conditioning or interval training
FITNESS: Optimal training, aerobic or cardiovascular
HEALTH: Beginner, low intensity with long duration produces fat burning
Aerobic exercise:
Is any sustained activity that sends oxygen to your muscles via your heart and lungs. It will improve the fitness of your lungs and heart: your body’s most important muscle. Aerobic fitness is promoted by any activity that uses your large muscle groups - arms, legs or buttocks, for example. Your heart beats quickly and you breathe deeply. An aerobic exercise should be part of your entire exercise routine.