Target Heart Rate and Estimated Maximum Heart Rate
Is your mind more active than you are?
A second way of monitoring physical activity intensity is to determine whether a person's pulse or heart rate is within the target zone during physical activity.
For moderate-intensity physical activity, a person's target heart rate should be 50 to 70% of his or her maximum heart rate. This maximum rate is based on the person's age. An estimate of a person's maximum age-related heart rate can be obtained by subtracting the person's age from 220. For example, for a 50-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220 - 50 years = 170 beats per minute (bpm). The 50% and 70% levels would be:
- 50% level: 170 x 0.50 = 85 bpm, and
- 70% level: 170 x 0.70 = 119 bpm
Thus, moderate-intensity physical activity for a 50-year-old person will require that the heart rate remains between 85 and 119 bpm during physical activity.
For vigorous-intensity physical activity, a person's target heart rate should be 70 to 85% of his or her maximum heart rate. To calculate this range, follow the same formula as used above, except change "50 and 70%" to "70 and 85%". For example, for a 35-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220 - 35 years = 185 beats per minute (bpm). The 70% and 85% levels would be:
- 70% level: 185 x 0.70 = 130 bpm, and
- 85% level: 185 x 0.85 = 157 bpm
Thus, vigorous-intensity physical activity for a 35-year-old person will require that the heart rate remains between 130 and 157 bpm during physical activity.
Taking Your Heart Rate Generally, to determine whether you are exercising within the heart
rate target zone, you must stop exercising briefly to take your pulse.
You can take the pulse at the neck, the wrist, or the chest. We
recommend the wrist. You can feel the radial pulse on the artery of
the wrist in line with the thumb. Place the tips of the index and
middle fingers over the artery and press lightly. Do not use the
thumb. Take a full 60-second count of the heartbeats, or take for 30
seconds and multiply by 2. Start the count on a beat, which is counted
as "zero." If this number falls between 85 and 119 bpm in
the case of the 50-year-old person, he or she is active within the
target range for moderate-intensity activity. |
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Page last updated: May 22, 2007
Content Source: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
