***READ ME - I'm not your doctor. I'm not your personal trainer. I'm not your momma. If you hurt yourself in anyway, it isn't my fault. I strongly recommend that you see a doctor before being any lifestyle change as there may be health problems you aren't aware of. Also you can't beat a personal trainer for knowledge and support when beginning a new physical fitness routine. The information I offer to you is what I have learned from working with a personal trainer and researching.
Now that I have that little piece of information out of the way.
Knowing your Target Heart Rate is essential to getting the most out of your cardio workout. How much exercise should you do? Anything is better than nothing, of course, but your best bet is to get at least 30 minutes of cardio 3 to 4 times a week. The goal of cardio is to get your heart pumping and the blood flowing. Your goal for cardio should be to get to your target rate rate. How do you find your target heart rate? Math, yep that is right, you have to think about this. The formula to figure out your target heart rate is...
First you need to figure out your resting heart rate (RHR). The best way to do this is to take your heart rate when you first wake up before you get out of bed. That isn't always convenient, I never remember to do it. Instead you can use a time when you've been inactive for a while. Mine right now is 78 bpm.
Ok so now take 220 minus your age. Then take that number and subtract your RHR. Use this number and multiply it by 0.6 and 0.8. Add your resting heart rate back into both numbers. These two numbers represent your target heart rate. So for example...
220 - 22 = 198 -78 = 120
120 * 0.6 = 72 + 78 = 150
120 * 0.8 = 96 + 78 = 174
So for the best results I should try to keep my heart rate between 150 - 174 during cardio.
This range will change as your health improves so you should reevaluate frequently.
Good luck!
More to come later...
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Friday, October 24, 2008
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