Target Heart Rate
Your pulse is your heart rate, or the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Heart rates vary from person to person. Your pulse is lower when you are at rest and increases when you exercise because more oxygen-rich blood is needed to support the body in exercise.
Your maximum heart rate is the number of times your heart would beat in one minute if it were working at its maximum capacity. The number is found by subtracting your calendar age from 220.
It has been found that the heart pulse rate decreases by a beat per minute over the years from its rate at birth.
You should seek to attain a heart rate that is 60 to 80 percent of your maximal heart rate to be sure you are getting the full benefits of an aerobic workout.
- Lower - you are not getting enough.
- Higher - there is the danger of heart damage and overuse injuries.
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