Exercises that move the large muscle tissues of the body and increase the heart rate are referred to as cardiovascular workouts, also known as cardio. Examples of these are jogging, swimming, cycling, dancing and many more. Bear in mind that simple, short workouts are by any means better than no exercise at all. When you have become accustomed to exercising everyday, the next question is, how much intensity should you give in each workout?
A heart rate calculator is used by most exercisers, particularly athletes to check the intensity of their exercise. A heart rate calculator uses the Karnoven formula, which calculates a person’s exercise heart rate and helps estimate the right target heart rate zone. Developed by a Scandinavian physiologist, this formula uses the number known as heart rate reserve. The difference between a person’s maximum heart rate and resting heart rate is referred to as heart rate reserve (HRR). Resting heart rate (RHR) is the heart rate of a person when he is at rest. On the other hand, Max HR is the fastest rate the heart can beat for one minute.
Most experts suggest that you keep your heart rate at around 60 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate (Max HR). For exercisers, the way to calculate Max HR is by using the formula 220 minus age (220-age) multiplied by either 0.60 or 0.85. So if your age is 30, for instance, subtract 30 from 220, which would give you a Max HR of 190. Next, multiply the result by 60 to 85 percent of your Max HR, which would give you 114 or 162. Therefore, the 60 percent and 85 percent of your Max HR is 116 bpm and 162 bpm, respectively.
Should an individual decide to begin an exercise, the lower pecentage ( like sixty-percent ) should be used to compute for the target heart rate. This is especially true for starters. The lower number is used to avoid injury during exercise. For the Karnoven formula, the way to derive the target heart rate is by getting the difference between maximum heart rate and resting heart rate; then, multiply the result by sixty percent and add again to resting heart rate.
And so, given the example that you’re 30 years of age with a RHR of 65, this equation would give you a THR of 140 bpm. Subsequently, as you progress with your workout regimen, you might like to use the higher number ( eighty-five percent) to compute for your THR. Using the Karnoven equation, this would result to a THR of 171 bpm. Having at least 140 bpm until 171 bpm will give you the best health benefits during cardio workouts.
Nearly all exercisers reap some benefits from a heart rate calculator. There are plenty of heart rate calculators online that one can use to instantly get a person’s target heart rate. Knowing the Karnoven heart rate calculator by heart, however, helps you understand the rationale behind the equation and where these target heart rates are coming from.
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