Friday Fitness: New Target Heart Rate Formula For Women

For the past 40 years, the standard heart rate zone guidelines had been based on studies conducted solely on men. Ohio State University Medical Center cardiologist Martha Gulati has found that women have a different exercise capacity that should be measured using a gender specific formula. A target heart rate zone can help you determine how hard you should be working during aerobic exercise.

 

Gulati’s study recruited 5,437 women in the Chicago area 30 and older and followed them for over 20 years. Her team conducted stress tests to find that women’s peak heart rates are generally a bit lower than men of the same age. So, she set out to create a more female-friendly equation. Granted the new equation requires a little more math than the previous autonomous model.

Here is a nice graphic courtesy of USA Today to help explain the new formula versus the standard guideline:

How hard should you be working? Find the answer below...

Did you know that February is American Heart Month? Not because of Valentine's Day but, every year since its congressional approval in 1963 the President has issued a proclamation to help raise public awareness of heart disease.

 

We all know that sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and family history are just some of the risk factors. Fortunately like most things, with proper nutrition and physical activity, the risk factors can be reduced or merely eradicated. Thus, being physically inactive is just not an option for us H3 blog readers.

 

Making sure we get the recommended 45-60 minutes of physical activity daily is vital. Time and mode is of importance, however intensity is even more imperative. In efforts to make sure you are exercising “purposefully” and at the proper intensity, please follow the formula below in calculating your Target Heart Rate (THR) Range.

 

How to find your Target Heart Rate Range (Karvonen formula steps):

 

1.  Take your resting pulse (complete resting= upon waking in the morning without an alarm clock, etc.) three mornings in a row.  Add them all together and divide by three, to get an average.  This is your RHR (Resting Heart Rate).

 

2.  (220)- (your age) = (MaxHR)

 

3.  (MaxHR) - (RHR) = (Heart Rate Reserve a.k.a. HRR)

 

4.  (HRR) x (60% )=  low training range %

      (HRR) x (80%) = high training range %

 

5.  (Low TR%) + (RHR) = Low Target Heart Rate Range

      (High TR%) + (RHR) = High Target Heart Rate Range

 

***TARGET HEART RATE RANGE*** =  (Low Target Heart Rate Range---High Target Heart Rate Range)

 

Now that you have found your THR Range, you should be working within this range of intensity level/s during your aerobic exercise bouts. Be sure to monitor this range with the equipment sensors, heart rate wrist monitors or intermittent heart rate checks throughout your “heart healthy” workout!