Exercise: heart rate
When you are starting/doing exercises to get fit, you will need to know your 'training' heart rate is, so that you are not fooling yourself OR working too hard [NB the 'training' hearts rate is an appropriate heart rate for you, while you are in the middle of exercise].
This training heart rate depends upon several factors:
- Your 'resting' heart rate
- Your age
- How 'fit' you are
In the section below, you will be able to calculate this value. Remember, as you get fitter, your resting heart rate will probably drop, so you should recalculate this every now and then!
Training heart rate calculator
Fill in your age and resting heart rate [see below], select your 'fitness' level and press the 'Calculate' button.
[years]
[beats per minute]
Your fitness level:
Beginner/low fitness [50%-60% intensity]
Average fitness [60%-70% intensity]
High fitness [75-85% intensity]
Your training heart rate should lie between:
[For those interested, this calculator is based upon the Karvonen formula]
How to find your 'resting' heart rate
Before you get out of bed in the morning, count your pulse on your wrist.
Count the number of beats, starting with zero, for one minute. If you don’t have a stop watch or a second hand in your bedroom, you can measure the time by watching for the number to change on a digital alarm clock. Find your pulse and start counting when the minute number changes the first time, stop counting when it changes again.
Repeat this for 3 days, and take the average value - this is your 'resting' heart rate