01.06: CARDIORESPIRATORY FITNESS

First Things First

To monitor your target heart rate, you have to know your resting heart rate. As the name indicates, your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute while at rest. The best time to take your resting heart rate is first thing in the morning before you even get out of bed.

Feel The Beat — Text Version

Welcome to HOPE TV. This episode is all about feeling the beat. Um, not that kind of beat. Today we're talking about your heartbeat or pulse. The best two places to find your pulse are the radial artery located on your wrist... ...and the carotid artery located on your neck. To feel your pulse, take two fingers and press them in the groove just below your thumb... ... or alongside the outside edge of your trachea, which is your windpipe. Remember, you only need to press lightly to feel your pulse. And one more thing. Never use your thumb to find your heartbeat. That's because it has a pulse of its own. If you're having trouble finding your pulse, just jump around to raise your heart rate. This will make it easier to detect. Once you feel the beat, you'll be able to calculate your heart rate. All you'll need is a watch that can count seconds. Heart rate is measured in BPM or beats per minute So you can either count your heartbeats for a full 60 seconds... ...or you can count your heartbeats for 10 seconds and then multiply that number by six. Ready to try it for yourself? Start by calculating your resting heart rate. So sit back, relax, and feel for your heartbeat. Just try not to fall asleep... because you might lose count. Yep. Well that's it for this episode of HOPE TV. See you next time!

Monitor your heart rate periodically

You should monitor your heart rate periodically during exercise to make sure you are staying within your target heart rate zone. If your heart rate is too high, you're straining and should lower the intensity of your exercise so your body is not working as hard. That might mean slowing down your jogging speed, decreasing your cycling pace, or putting your workout video in slow motion. If your heart rate is lower than your target heart rate, and the intensity feels easy or moderate, go ahead and push yourself to exercise a little harder. That might mean riding your bike faster or dancing to a song with a quicker beat. If you are new to your exercise plan, aim for the lowest part of your target zone (50 percent). Then, gradually build up to the higher part (up to 85 percent) after weeks or months of regular cardiovascular exercise. Remember, the key is to work out within the target zone and to push to continue to improve in a safe way. You don't have to exercise at the top of your range to see amazing benefits, you just have to be consistent day in and day out.

Your heart

Your heart needs to be strong enough to continually deliver blood through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body. You can keep your heart strong by getting it pumping with some cardiorespiratory activity for at least 20 minutes in your target heart rate zone - without stopping. But to do that, you will need to know what your target heart rate is. So get ready because you'll be doing just that in this lesson.

Find Your THRZ

Your target heart rate zone (THRZ) is the range between 50% and 85% of your maximum heart rate. Keeping your heart rate within this zone gives you the maximum health and fat-burning benefits from your cardiovascular activity while avoiding risks to your heart. You can use your resting heart rate and age to determine your target heart rate zone. There is a formula to calculate this zone, but there are also plenty of sources that will do the calculation for you.

Rest and Recover

After exercise, your heart rate should go back down. This is called your recovery heart rate. Five minutes after you stop exercising, your heart rate should be 120 beats per minute or less. Ten minutes after you stop exercising, your heart rate should be 100 beats per minute or less.

How Is Target Heart Rate Calculated?

Determine your Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) by subtracting your age from 220. 220- age = MHR Subtract your Resting Heart Rate (RHR) from your MHR. This gives your Heart Rate Reserve (HRmax Reserve). MHR- RHR = HRmax Reserve To get the lower end of your target heart rate (50%), multiply your Heart Rate Reserve by .50 and then add your Resting Heart Rate to it. (HRmax Reserve × 0.50) + RHR = low end of zone To get the higher end of your target heart rate zone (85%), multiply your Heart Rate Reserve from step 2 by 0.85, and add your Resting Heart Rate to it. (HRmax Reserve × 0.85) + RHR = high end of zone