Exercise Intensity Levels
Light intensity: 40 to 50 percent of your maximum heart rate (ideal for beginners)
Moderate intensity: 50 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate
Vigorous intensity: 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate (ideal for those who are more advanced).
How To Tell If You’re Working Out At The Right Rate
Here’s how to check your heart rate while you’re exercising:
- Place two fingers between the bone and the tendon over your radial artery — which is located on the thumb side of your wrist. Count the number of beats you feel for 15 seconds.
- Multiply this number by 4 to calculate your beats per minute.
Target Heart Rate Tips To Keep In Mind
It’s very important to remember that the calculating your maximum heart rate is a guide: you may actually have a higher or lower maximum heart rate, sometimes by as much as 15 to 20 beats per minute. In addition, several types of medications can lower your heart rate (and thus your target heart rate). These differences are so small that most casual athletes don’t need to be concerned about this. But if you want a more definitive heart rate guide, consider talking with your doctor, a physiologist, or a certified personal trainer.
How Hard Should You Really Be Working Out? was originally published on blackdoctor.org
