Heart Rate During Exercise

Heart rate (HR) is nothing but the number of times a heart beats per minute (BPM). The normal heart rate varies from person to person depending upon the age, overall health and physical activity performed by the person. It is not constant all the time and it fluctuates because of change in physical and mental stress. Your heart supplies oxygenated blood to all parts of the body and as the demand for blood and oxygen increases, the heart has to beat faster to meet the needs of the body. Thus, the HR depends on the demand of blood by the body. During exercise, the heart beats faster as the body requires more blood for more oxygen. It beats slowly when you are at rest. If you've been inactive, then monitoring the heart rate during exercise is more important. If you don't want to get tired quickly during workouts, you should know at what heart rate you should exercise.

Average HR During Exercise

The normal resting heart rate (RHR) for children (6-15 years) is 70 to 100 BPM. The normal adult HR is about 60 to 100 BPM at rest. The RHR increases with age. Healthy individuals, whose hearts function efficiently and who enjoy cardiovascular fitness, have a comparatively lower heart rate. If your body is conditioned and toned, less beats per minute will be required to pump blood to your body. You might be surprised to know that in a well-trained athlete, the heart rate may be as low as 40 to 60 BPM.

The maximum heart rate or Max HR is useful to measure the training intensities of an athlete, as it is measured individually. The Max HR is obtained when you subtract your age from 220. So, if you are 35 years old, it would be 185. The average and healthy HR for exercise would be around 50 to 60% of your Max HR. So, for a 35 year old individual the average and healthy heart rate will be somewhere around 92 and 110. Slight variation depending upon the sex and the constitution of the individual is considered as normal. It is better if you can stay within 50 to 85 percent of your Maximum HR during exercise.

Target HR During Exercise

As mentioned above, staying within 50 to 85 percent of your max HR is recommended. This range is known as your target heart rate range during exercise. The following table shows the estimated target HRs during workouts for different ages. The figures are averages, so you should use them as general guidelines.

Age	Target Heart Rate Zone (50-85%)	Average Maximum Heart Rate (100 %)
20 years	100-170 BPM	200 BPM
25 years	98-166 BPM	195 BPM
30 years	95-162 BPM	190 BPM
35 years	93-157 BPM	185 BPM
40 years	90-153 BPM	180 BPM
45 years	88-149 BPM	175 BPM
50 years	85-145 BPM	170 BPM
55 years	83-140 BPM	165 BPM
60 years	80-136 BPM	160 BPM
65 years	78-132 BPM	155 BPM
70 years	75-128 BPM	150 BPM

If you are taking high blood pressure medicines, you should consult your physician for the ideal heart rate during workout. It is essential to monitor both the heart rate and the blood pressure during exercise. Abnormal figures usually indicate weakened heart.

I hope you found the above information helpful. Your heart rate during exercise reflects your overall health, fitness and also the health of your heart. You should try to keep your heart rate low and steady.