Learning about your heart rate can save you from many unpleasant health and well-being-related surprises in the future. Your overall capacity in life is largely determined by the condition of your heart and what you do to take care of it.
Similarly, learning about your heart rate zones will allow you to finetune your overall training intensities according to your specific desires and goals. Touching upon the correct areas can also save you from unnecessary delay or problems like not hitting your mark on time because of doing too little or sustaining injuries because of doing too much.
How to Calculate Heart Rate
Here are some easy ways of calculating your heart rate –
1) Pulse from Neck or Wrist
The most conventional method on the list and one that is used when there aren’t any technological machines around. Heart rates can be measured through learning an individual’s pulse rate, as the pulse rate of an individual is the exact number of times the heart beats. Place your finger on your neck or wrist and count your pulse rate for 15 seconds. Then multiply it by 4 to know your heart rate per minute.
2) Activity Tracking & Health Indicating Devices
The most convenient and accurate method of measuring a person’s heart rate at any given time. Activity tracking devices are relatively inexpensive (compared to the bigger and more conventional machines) and do not need too much space or knowledge to use. Get real-time data whenever you need it – during rest, during activity, during sleep, and more.
3) ECG or EKG
An electrocardiogram is an advanced machine used mainly by doctors or health specialists in recording, assessing, and providing accurate heart rate readings. An ECG or EKG is a big, complex, and expensive machine that uses various wires and clips to get more definitive readings.
4) Chest Strap Monitor
Chest strap monitors are abundantly used by professional athletes, runners, and marathoners to measure their heart rates during various levels of exercise. It employs a full strap that needs to be worn around the chest. At the center of the belt, near the heart, are sensors through which the readings can be taken.
5) Smartphones
Today’s latest smartphone technology can provide a variety of different health indicators. Heart rate readings being one of the main ones. Smartphones make use of their camera and flash to take a person’s reading. There are many heart rate reading applications available in the market today. Although this method is not always reliable, and readings may sometimes be inaccurate.
How to Calculate Heart Rate Zones
Here are some heart rate zones and how you can calculate them –
1) How to Calculate Resting Heart Rate Zone (RHR)
Follow the steps below –
- Rest for five to ten minutes without speaking.
- Place your index and middle fingers on either of your pulse points.
- Count your pulse rate of 15/30 seconds.
- Multiply the count by 4/2 to get your heart rate.
- Depending on some biological and health factors, the normal range for a person’s heart rate lies between 50 to 90 beats per minute.
2) How to Calculate Maximum Heart Rate Zone (HRmax)
Calculating your maximum heart rate is relatively easy. Subtract your age from 220, and you will know your estimated maximum heart rate level. So, for example, if your age is 50, your maximum heart rate would be 170 beats per minute.
3) How to Calculate Target Heart Rate Zone
Your target heart rate zone would be the heart rate zone you need to train most to reach your primary objectives. Target zones are calculated through training at specific percentages of your maximum heart rate. Two commonly targeted heart rate zones are –
Moderate-intensity training – This zone is anywhere between 60% and 75% of your maximum heart rate capacity. Going by the example of the 50-year-old person whose HRmax is at 170 BPM, their target heart rate zone for moderate-intensity training would be between 102 and 128 BPM.
Vigorous-intensity training – This zone is anywhere between 76% and 95% of your maximum heart rate capacity. Going by the example of the 50-year-old-person whose HRmax is at 170 BPM, their target heart rate zone for vigorous-intensity training would be between 129 and 160 BPM.
Accordingly, you can create your own target zones by determining your exact goals and the best ways to reach them.
4) How to Calculate Fat-Burning Heart Rate Zone
A general rule of thumb is that at 70% of an individual’s maximum heart rate, their body would consume more fat than carbohydrates or sugars to keep the intensity sustained. However, training anywhere between 70% to 75% of your maximum heart rate is an excellent zone to burn more fat. Going by the example of the 50-year-old person whose HRmax is 170 BPM, their fat burning rate zone would be between 119 and 128 BPM.
To Conclude
It is important to learn more about one’s heart rate as this can save the different types of health-related issues. Understanding your heart rate and why it affects your life can help you with designing your health and wellness goals a lot better.
Heart rate zones can give you further insight into the kind of exercises and training you should be doing to reach goals in the best possible shape. Luckily today, we’ve got some of the best technology around when it comes to receiving real-time activity and health data on the go.
Ingeni Digital’s wellness application and activity & health tracking smartwatches can give you all you’re looking for in a modern wellness package. Check our website www.ingenidigital.com for more details.
