Measuring how your heart reacts to exercise
There are several ways to measure how hard you are exercising.
Measure your heart rate
Heart rate chart
Number of pulses 10 seconds | Beats per minute |
10 | 60 |
11 | 66 |
12 | 72 |
13 | 78 |
14 | 84 |
15 | 90 |
16 | 96 |
17 | 102 |
18 | 108 |
19 | 114 |
20 | 120 |
21 | 126 |
22 | 132 |
23 | 138 |
24 | 144 |
25 | 150 |
Take the number of pulses in 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to get the beats per minute.
One way to know how your heart is reacting to exercise is to check your heart rate.
Your heart rate lets you know how fast your heart is beating.
You may also need to check your heart rate if you take medicine to regulate your heartbeat, or if you have a pacemaker.
Check your heart rate by taking your pulse rate (radial or carotid).
- Taking your radial pulse
- Take your radial pulse on either wrist.
- With your palm up, use the tips of your fingers of your other hand.
- Feel the pulse on the thumb side of your wrist.
- Press gently. Use enough pressure to feel your heartbeat, but don't press too hard, or you'll obstruct your blood flow.
- Count how many times your heart beats in 10 seconds and multiply by six. You can use the second hand of your watch or a nearby clock. (See the chart at left.)
- Taking your carotid pulse
Measure your target heart rate
The target heart rate is a guideline that can help you stay in a safe exercise heart rate range. This will help improve your fitness.
The target heart rate is based on 60 to 80 percent of a maximum heart rate.
- A number less than your target rate means your heart isn't working hard enough.
- A number higher than your target rate means your heart is working too hard.
If you are just starting an exercise routine, you may want to start out at 60 to 70 percent of your target heart rate. As you become more fit, you may want to progress to 70 to 80 percent of your target heart rate.
As your age increases, your target heart rate will decrease.
| Target heart rate maximum - Target training zones
|
|
Approximate maximum heart rate |
Maximum target training zones (beats per minute) |
| Age |
Heart rate |
60% |
65% |
70% |
75% |
80% |
85% |
| 20 |
200 |
120 |
130 |
140 |
150 |
160 |
170 |
| 25 |
195 |
117 |
127 |
137 |
146 |
156 |
166 |
| 30 |
190 |
114 |
124 |
133 |
143 |
152 |
162 |
| 35 |
185 |
111 |
120 |
130 |
139 |
148 |
157 |
| 40 |
180 |
108 |
117 |
126 |
135 |
144 |
153 |
| 45 |
175 |
105 |
114 |
123 |
131 |
140 |
149 |
| 50 |
170 |
102 |
111 |
119 |
128 |
136 |
145 |
| 55 |
165 |
99 |
107 |
116 |
124 |
132 |
140 |
| 60 |
160 |
96 |
104 |
112 |
120 |
128 |
136 |
| 65 |
155 |
93 |
101 |
109 |
116 |
124 |
132 |
| 70 |
150 |
90 |
98 |
105 |
113 |
120 |
128 |
| 75 |
145 |
87 |
94 |
102 |
109 |
116 |
123 |
| 80 |
140 |
84 |
91 |
98 |
105 |
112 |
119 |
In general, if you are staying in the hospital (inpatient) and you have angina, had a heart attack, or have heart failure, your target heart rate is the resting heart rate plus 25 beats per minute as the maximum heart rate.
If you had open heart surgery or valve surgery, your target heart rate is the resting heart rate plus 35 beats per minute as the maximum heart rate.
- If you keep your heart rate in the lower range of the guideline, you will be able to exercise longer.
- If you keep your heart rate in the higher range of the guideline, you will have better cardiorespiratory fitness.
Certain heart medicines (such as beta blockers) may decrease your heart rate at rest and with exercise. It is important to remember that your heart rate will go up with exercise, but may not increase as much as it did before starting your medicines. This does not prevent you from reaching a new improved level of fitness and conditioning.
Ask your health care provider if your medicines will affect your heart rate.
Use the Borg scale of perceived exertion (RPE)
Important
If you have heart failure, avoid exercises like painting, snow shoveling, carrying heavy weights, or pushing a car out of deep snow.
The rate of perceived exertion (RPE) means "how hard you are working." It is based on the total amount of exertion and physical fatigue you feel during an activity.
The amount of work the heart can tolerate will vary from person to person, depending on the specific heart condition.
Generally, activities are safe if you can do them comfortably without having any warning symptoms.
Borg scale of perceived exertion
Measure your activity through 'METS'
A MET, metabolic energy equivalent, is a unit of measurement (like a cup or an inch) that measures how much effort an activity requires from you. For example, lying down takes one MET; sitting and lifting both arms, two METS; walking on a flat surface, three METS; or climbing stairs, six METS.
Factors that influence how much energy you're spending include:
- how fast you're moving
- your body weight
- stress
- humidity
- extreme heat or cold
- emotion
- tension
- pressure
- competition
- anxiety
- the part of your body you are using
- how recently you have eaten
If you have had a heart attack or surgery, your activities may be at the two to three MET level at the time of your hospital discharge. Follow your doctor's instructions about activities when you return home.
MET chart
