Why Your Heart Rate is Important to Weight Loss
Heart rate is a term used to describe the frequency of the cardiac cycle. Usually, it is calculated as the number of contractions of the heart in one minute and expressed as “beats per minute” (bpm). Heartbeats vary among males and females so it is important to understand what the ranges of heart rates mean and how it’s important to reaching your weight loss goals.
To understand why your heart rate is important to weight loss, you must first know more about your maximum heart rate. The maximum heart rate (MHR) is the maximum heart rate that a person can achieve during peak physical exertion. As you age, your MHR declines. However, the more you exercise, the slower the declining process. By subtracting your age from 220, you can get an estimate as to what your MHR is. Considering that the maximum heart rate varies between people, it can be more beneficial to use a heart rate monitor.
Heart Rate Training Zones
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Healthy Heart Zone. During this warm up stage, you are using 50-60% of your MHR. This is a great starting point for those beginning an exercise program. This healthy heart zone is known for aiding in the decrease of body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol.
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Fitness Zone. Here is the fat burning zone, where you are using 60-70% of your MHR. While this zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, its intensity burns more total food energy, therefore giving you better results.
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Aerobic Zone. This endurance-training zone uses 70-80% of your MHR. This is the perfect zone for those seeking to improve their cardiovascular and respiratory system. This zone will also strengthen your heart allowing it to function better.
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Anaerobic Zone. Do you often feel fatigued? If so, this is the zone for you. Also known as the performance-training zone, it will improve your cardiorespiratory system and help you fight fatigue. Being a high intensity zone, you will be using 80-90% of your MHR, allowing you to burn even more food energy.
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Red Line. This name alone speaks volumes. This zone is where your body is using maximum effort. It is in this stage that your body is using 90-100% of your MHR. Unless you have been exercising for years to where you have a high fitness level, you should remain cautious. Check with your doctor before pushing your body to this level. If you chose to push without a doctor’s consent, keep it to an extremely short period of time. Do not overdo it and cause your body harm!
So, how do you know what zone you should be focusing on? You calculate your target heart rate (THR) and then work to stay within it. Below is the calculation for finding your target heart rate:
Standard THR = %Intensity/100 x (MHR)
For example, if you wanted to reach an aerobic zone of 60% and you were 30 years of age, you would calculate your THR as:
Standard THR = 60%/100 x (220-30)
= 0.60 x 190
= 114
Once you calculate your target heart rate, you need to stay around that number. Putting too much pressure on your body will only cause injury and burnout.
Start out small and work your way up. Try to be patient. You will get your results, but you want to reach your goals the healthy way. Remember, the formulas and why your heart rate is important to weight loss.
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