By Christie Clapp

I want to set up a cardio program; I’m keep hearing the terms “target heart rate” and heart monitors.   How does this come into play when setting up my program?

When trying to set up a cardio program, there are a few things to consider.  The major ones are what time of day and days of the week are you going to workout (frequency – try to do 3 days a week), what type of exercise do you want to do (cardio equipment like a stationary bike or treadmill, walking or running outside, to name a few), and how long is each workout is going to last (duration). 

Once these things have been decided, knowing what intensity you should be working at and staying within this range is going to produce the best results.  This is where the term “Target Heart Rate” comes into play.

Calculating your Target Heart Rate (THR) – Initially, you should be using this basic formula for calculating your THR -

220 – your age = Maximum Heart Rate (MHR). 

Ideally, most cardio workouts should be between 60 – 85% of your MHR. 

If you were 20 years old, this is how you would figure out your THR.  Using the formula just discussed:

220 – 20 (your age) = 200, which would be your MHR. 

200 X .6 (60%) = 120 which is the lowest her heart rate should be

200 X .8 (85%) = 170, which is the highest your heart rate should be. 

Therefore, your Target Heart Rate (THR) is between 120 and 170.  This range is what you want your heart rate to be during your workout.  This is just an initial range because once you’ve been doing your cardio workout for awhile, your THR probably will change; other formulas can and should be used to factor in your increased level of fitness.

Monitoring your Heart Rate – The fastest, easiest, and most accurate way to know what your heart rate is by wearing a heart monitor.  You can purchase one at most any sporting goods store; Polar makes a great one that costs about $69 (the FS1) but there are lots of others available.  A heart monitor consists of two pieces; a transmitter that is essentially a band that goes around your chest and a receiver (it looks like a watch) that you wear on your wrist.  The “wrist watch” not only gives you a constant, digital readout of what your current heart rate is but can also give you a running time of your workout.

Heart monitors are very beneficial.  Typically, when you’re using electronic cardio equipment in the gym, like the treadmill or elliptical machines, even though you can get a digital readout of what your heart rate is, there is a drawback.  You must be constantly holding on to the machine’s sensors, which can limit your workout.  However, if you are wearing a heart monitor, the equipment can pick up your heart rate from the transmitter around your chest without requiring you to hold on to the sensors and still display it directly in front of you on the machine as well as on your wrist.

Another big advantage of the heart monitor is when you aren’t using electronic cardio equipment; let’s say you just want to do some running or power walking, or your cardio equipment at home is not electronic.   You can head outside, or get on your equipment and with your heart monitor on, you will have your heart rate information as close as your wrist.  If your heart rate is lower than your target, speed up your pace or your resistance; if you’re too high, slow things down.  It’s that simple.

Duration of Target Heart Rate (THR) – A goal of 30 minutes within your THR is a good one to shoot for.  However, if at first you can only do 5 minutes, start there.  With each subsequent workout, try to increase the duration by a few minutes each time until you reach your goal.

If you stick to these guidelines, your cardio program will help you feel and look better before you know it!

- by Christie Clapp, Highline PFT Student