Aerobic Pulse Rate Calculator
Aerobic Exercise:
Long duration low intensity exercise maintaining 65 to 85% of your maximum heart rate. Walking, biking, jogging, swimming, cross-country skiing, etc. Aerobic means with air. You should be able to carry on a short conversation while doing aerobic exericse.
Anaerobic Exercise:
Short duration high intensity. Racquetball, downhill skiing (with or without the bouncing . . .), weight lifting, sprinting, football, medicine ball juggling, etc.
Some Terms
- Max Heart Rate (MHR):
This is the fastest that your heart will beat. No matter how much more effort you expend, your heart rate won't go any higher. As you age, your MHR decreases. Your MHR can not be increased. The MHR determined by the formulas above may be different from your actual MHR. Obtaining your exact MHR is for you and your doctor to work out. The standard cost is between $100 and $500 per test. The simple do-it-yourself method is to exercise 4 minutes with as much effort as you can. The maximum pulse is your actual MHR. Make sure to do a proper warm-up and cool-down. If you drop dead, don't blame me, doctors exist for a reason! Anyone who is 35 years old or older should DEFINATELY go to their doctor to find the MHR.
- Resting Heart Rate(RHR):
The Resting Heart Rate is your hearts absolute minimum pulse rate (before death). Take your pulse the minute you wake up in the morning, before getting out of bed. The other method is to rest in a prone position for 10 to 20 minutes and then take your pulse. Repeat once a day for seven days. Average the values.
- Heart Rate Reserve(HRR):
This is the difference between your Max Heart Rate and your Resting Heart Rate.
- Target Heart Rate (THR):
This is the pulse rate range which you want to maintain during your exercise.
Pulse Rate Zones - Detailed Version |
|---|
| Name | % of MHR | Purpose |
|---|
| Moderate Activity | 50 to 60% | Very low stress, with fat burning. This pace helps build endurance and speed. A 60 minute walk (at a moderate pace), would fall into this category. |
| Weight Management | 60 to 70% | This rate helps strengthen the heart and burn fat. |
| Aerobic | 70 to 80% | Benefits heart AND the respiratory system. This is the "standard" training zone. |
| Anaerobic | 80 to 90% | Increases your body's ability to metabolize lactic acid, allowing you to train harder. |
| Red-Line | 90 to 100% | You will want to read a lot more than this web page, before exercising in this area! |
NOTE: Most of the information on this web page came from "The Heart Rate Monitor Book" by Sally Edwards.