![]() But if you're worried about your heart rate for whatever reason, checking the number too often might make you even more anxious, he says. These devices periodically measure your heartbeat throughout the day, using optical sensors that detect light bouncing back from the blood flowing beneath the skin of your inner wrist.įor some people, working hard to reach their target heart rate motivates them to exercise more and further boosts their fitness levels, says Harvard cardiologist Dr. Most smart watches and wearable fitness trackers use your age to estimate your target heart rate zones (see main story). Heart rate tracking: The good, the bad, and the uncertain But these gadgets have limitations (see "Heart rate tracking: The good, the bad, and the uncertain") and aren't really necessary. Of course, popular wrist-worn devices can do these calculations for you. For vigorous-intensity exercise, your target range is around 77% to 93% (119 to 144 bpm). For moderate-intensity exercise, your target heart rate range is 64% to 76% of that (99 to 118 bpm). For example, if you're 65, your estimated maximum heart rate is 220 minus 65, or 155 bpm. Target heart rates are expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. And estimates for all individuals may be off by as much as 15 bpm, he adds. Created in the early 1970s, the formula was based on testing done on men and tends to overestimate peak heart rates in women. But using age alone really isn't the best metric for determining your maximum heart rate," says Dr. "We know the ability to raise your heart rate tends to decrease with age. The usual formula is 220 minus your age.īe aware, though, that this just gives you a ballpark figure. However, it's more practical to estimate your maximum heart rate. Accurately determining this number requires a cardiopulmonary exercise test, which tracks how your lungs, heart, blood vessels, and muscles react during an exercise challenge. The term maximum (or peak) heart rate refers to the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle during physical activity, measured in beats per minute (bpm). Sawalla Guseh, director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital. (For the record, it's at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, or an equivalent combination).īut just how high should your heart rate rise during exercise? Should you aim for a specific target - and is it dangerous to go above your "maximum" heart rate? For answers to these and related questions, we asked Dr. If you are committed to keeping your heart in good shape, perhaps you already know how much heart-pumping aerobic exercise you should be getting each week.
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