INDIANAPOLIS — Our Friday Fit Tip is about helping you maximize your workouts to make sure you know your target maximum heart rate.
It's a very simple equation, and you can use the numbers with your body-worn device, such as a FitBit or Apple Watch. You can also wear a heart rate monitor when you work out.
Here's the equation:
220 - Your Age = Maximum Heart Rate
Start with 220 and subtract your age. That number there is your maximum heart rate for exercise.
For example, if you are 60 years old, 220 minus 60 figures your maximum to be 160. If you're 40 years old, 220 minus 40 results is a maximum of 180, and 220 minus 20 for a 20-year-old creates a maximum of 200. So you can see your maximum heart rate gets lower as you age.
It's a simple equation with a standard deviation of about 12 points.
So use your device and when you're planning your workout, you want to make sure you're in your target maximum heart rate for a certain amount of time to make sure that workout is the most efficient and you are getting close to a maximum benefit.
Watch this Friday's Fit Tip segment in the video player.