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| During the first month of your exercise program you should be exercising at 70% of your maximum ability. By the end of the 2 nd or 3 rd month you may be exercising close to 85%. For example, if you are 40 years old and if your maximum heart rate on the exercise test was 145 beats per minute, your target heart rate for the first month is about 100 beats per minute (70% of 145 ) and target range is 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate on the exercise test or 70% of your age related maximum heart rate [ 70% of 220- 40 = 180 ] if you are a healthy person. |
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WARNING : If you are taking certain medicines that can affect your heart rate (like beta blocker, digitalis etc), this target heart rate monitoring may not be appropriate for you. Consult your doctor regarding this. Also, if your heart is weak or you have a severe heart disease, you must not exercise without medical advice . |
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| PULSE CHECK : |
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You can keep track of the intensity of exercise by checking your pulse while you exercise. If it is not close to your target rate, than you know you are not exercising hard enough. |
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| Check your pulse : - before exercise |
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during exercise |
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after exercise, during cool-down. |
Pulse monitoring and staying within your target or training heart rate is important for safe exercise. |
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| There are 3 places you can use to find your pulse : |
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The wrist, just below the bottom of the thumb. |
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The inside of the elbow. |
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At the bottom of the neck.At the bottom of the neck. |
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To find the pulse at the wrist, place 2-3 fingers along the radial artery ( see the “X” in the picture ). Press until you feel the beating of the heart through the artery. |
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| To count an exercise pulse : |
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Find your pulse immediately. |
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Look at the second hand, and starting with zero count each beat you feel for 10 seconds. |
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Multiply that number by six (six times 10 seconds = 1 Minute) to get a minute. |
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