Target Heart Rate Zone
Your target heart rate zone is a range between the lower and upper heart rate limits expressed as percentages of your maximum heart rate (HRmax) or as beats per minute (bpm). HRmax is the highest number of heartbeats per minute during maximum physical exertion. The wrist unit calculates your HRmax according to your age: Maximum heart rate = 220–age. For more accurate measurement of your HRmax visit your doctor or exercise physiologist for an exercise stress test.
In exercise, different heart rate zones produce different results. The heart rate zones that suit you depend on your goal and your basic physical condition.
When your heart beats at 60-70% of your HRmax (HRmax%), you are in the Light Intensity Zone. Whether you have just started working out or you exercise fairly regularly, much of your workout will be in this zone. Fat is the body’s main source of energy at this level of intensity; therefore this zone
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is also good for weight control. This intensity still feels fairly easy for most people and provides, for example, the following benefits:
•Improves endurance
•Improves aerobic (cardiovascular) fitness
•Helps in weight control
Push on to 70-80% of your HRmax, and you are in the Moderate Intensity Zone. This is especially good for people who are exercising regularly. For most people, this is often the fastest pace they can maintain and still remain comfortable and free of pain. Exercising in this zone is particularly effective for improving aerobic fitness. If you are out of shape, your muscles will use carbohydrates for fuel when you are exercising in this zone. As you get fitter, your body starts using a higher and higher percentage of fat for fuel, thus preserving its limited stores of muscle carbohydrate. Exercising in the moderate intensity zone results in some additional benefits:
