Treadmill Exercise With Relation to Heart Rate

While doing exercise on a treadmill, you often count for the miles and speed you run and the time you spent either running or walking. More miles the better, faster the better and more time the better. But the least thing you know is that you are not actually better the most out of your work out because you are missing something very important, monitoring your heart rate.

For the past several years, the method on treadmill exercise has drastically changed. The efficiency on the treadmill is not anymore base only on distance, speed, and stamina. You may argue about this, but the fact remains that you must understand you target heart rate (thr) to achieve your goal.

Target heart rate is "a pre-determined pulse to be obtained during exercise when circulation is working at full efficient capacities." There are two ways to calculate this, first is by a treadmill exercise test, and second, by using an age-predicted heart rate formula. The treadmill exercise test is the most accurate way of determining your target heart rate. The test is supervised by the cardiologist or exercise physiologist. The target heart rate formula can predict your target heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 (men) or 226 (women) then multiply by 60% to achieve the lower limit and 90% for the higher limit. Example if you are a 25-year-old man, your target heart rate is 220-25 years = 195 beats per minute multiply it with 60% and 90%, you get a target heart rate between 117-195.

This calculation is essential while doing treadmill exercise. The target heart rate should be the basis of the intensity of treadmill exercise. As you all know, these are 5 different levels of treadmill exercise which relates to the heart rate, or target heart rate.

The Healthy heart zone or the warm up zone is 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. Though at this rate on a treadmill exercise help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol is the easiest and the best zone for a beginner on treadmill exercise

The fitness zone or the fat burning zone covers 60-70% of the maximum heart rate. Performing this on a treadmill exercise is good for the hearth and burns more calories than the warm up zone.

The aerobic zone covers 70-80% of maximum heart rate on a treadmill exercise. This zone is more intense than the other two and also improves cardiovascular and respiratory system while burns more calories.

The Performance training zone is covers 80-90% of your maximum heart rate. This zone burns fat though few can maintain this phase for a long time, the benefit of this zone while performing a treadmill exercise is the improved cardiorespiratory system.

The last zone is reaches 90-100% of the maximum heart rate. Most people can do this for a very short period. Before you attempt this zone on a treadmill exercise, you should have your physician's go signal. Among the five zones, this burns most calories and most fat.

Related Articles