At Saratoga Health and Wellness, we are often asked “What should my heart rate be when exercising?” Typically when an individual joins Saratoga Health and Wellness we perform an initial sub maximal VO2 test to determine their appropriate target heart rate, but if you do not have this knowledge or information, there are other methods to determine your correct heart rate range.
One of the simplest methods of setting target heart rate range uses a straight percentage of the maximal heart rate. We, as clinicians, use 70 to 85% of an individual’s heart rate max as the prescribed exercise intensity. This range of exercise intensities approximates 55 to 75% of your VO2 max and provides the stimulus needed to improve ones cardiovascular potential. It is also simple to compute.
To calculate your target heart rate we first must to calculate your estimated maximal heart rate. For this, we simply subtract your age from 220. Once we have your maximal heart rate, we simply multiply by the 70 and 85%.
As an example, I am 35 years old. My estimated maximal heart rate is 185 beats per minute (220-35=185). With a maximal heart of 185 beats per minute, my target heart rate would calculate out to 130 to 157 beats/min (185(.70)=130, 185(.85)=157).
This method may not always work depending on factors including medical conditions or medications. If you have questions regarding appropriate heart rate range, or would like to refine your target heart rate, please contact us.