There comes a time during your exercise routine where you realize that “winging it” is only going to get you so far.
You need to start planning and tracking. I know how time-consuming it can be to try to track everything in the gym, especially for the non-athlete.
So, I say don’t track everything, just track the important stuff.
Tracking heart rate numbers is one of those things. Seasoned athletes probably know everything there is to know about the importance of tracking their heart rate numbers.
Now, by the end of this guide, you’ll know the importance also.
What’s the Significance of the Heart Rate During Exercise?
Before diving into the significance of tracking heart rate numbers, let me explain what your heart rate is in reference to exercise.
When it comes to exercise, a simple way to explain the significance of heart rate is to say that it lets you know if you’re working out effectively or not.
When your heart rate is in the target range, that means you’re getting the maximum benefit from your workout efforts. This is why tracking heart rate is so important.
Why Heart Rate Rises During Exercise
Heart rate is exactly what it sounds like – the rate that your heart beats during any given time. Heart rate isn’t a set rate. It fluctuates depending on what you’re doing.
It makes sense that when you’re exercising, your heart rate increases. This is because of something called cardiac output.
Essentially, your body needs more oxygen as you become more active, so your heart needs to work harder and faster to get that oxygen to you.
Your Heart Rate Can Be a Sign of Good or Bad Health
Your heart rate is also a great indication of your cardiovascular health. While everyone’s ideal heart rate numbers may vary slightly, there are certain ranges that you should be able to meet.
If you aren’t meeting these ranges, it can indicate anything from simply being out of shape to serious heart problems.
It’s important to know of any conditions you may have. If you have heart problems, you can’t exercise like everyone else can. Tracking heart rate could save your life in a situation like this.
Now that I’ve pointed out the significance of your heart rate while exercising, we can move on to some more in-depth information about tracking your heart rate. Don’t worry, it’s not hard or complicated. Keep reading to learn more.
Your Numbers Are Important
There are three numbers (more specifically, ranges) that you must focus on when tracking your heart rate.
These are your resting heart rate, your target heart rate, and your maximum heart rate. They are appropriately named as they represent exactly what they say.
However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are outside factors that can influence your heart rate. Some of these include:
- Overall fitness level
- Age
- Weight
- If you smoke
- Diseases
- Medications
- Temperature
- Body position
- Caffeine intake
The first two – your overall fitness level and your age are normal factors that affect everyone.
Temperature (meaning outside temperature or the temperature in the room) is another one that can be classified as “normal” because it affects everyone.
Weight can also be looked at as normal in a sense – if you’re overweight, your heart rate is probably going to be higher than other people.
As we’re discussing tracking heart rate, we’ll be considering these common factors. If the other factors apply to you, or you’re very overweight, you should see a medical professional to get a better overall evaluation of your heart rate numbers.
Tracking Your Resting Heart Rate
Tracking your resting heart rate is quite simple. You’ll want to track it after you’ve been resting for a while, not as soon as you sit down to rest.
If you have a heart rate tracker, that’s great. If not, simply use pulse points to count the number of heart beats you have in a minute. You could even count how many you have in 15 seconds and multiply it times four.
According to Harvard Health, a normal adult resting heart rate should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm) across all age groups.
The healthier you are, the lower your resting heart rate should be. It’s not uncommon for super-fit athletes to have a resting heart rate of lower than 60.
If your resting heart rate is above 100 bpm, you should see a doctor before beginning any type of exercise regimen. Do so sooner rather than later.
Target Heart Rate and Maximum Heart Rate
This is where tracking heart rate is the most important. As I stated before, you’ll get the maximum benefit when you’re around your target heart rate for your age group.
However, in order to understand the different zones of recommended target heart rates, you’ll need to know about your maximum heart rate.
The American Heart Association suggests that your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age.
So, if you’re 30, your safe maximum heart rate would be 190 bpm. Despite this being your safe maximum heart rate, you should not workout at this heart rate. You should workout at your target heart rate.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), you should aim to hit a heart rate of 64% to 76% of your maximum heart rate. This gives you a range to work with.
For a 30-year-old, that range would be 141 to 167 bpm. This target range means that you’re getting a medium-intensity workout.
Anything below the above suggested range could be considered as a low-intensity workout and anything above this would be a high-intensity workout.
However, it’s suggested that anything over 85% of your maximum heart rate may do more harm than good.
Tracking Heart Rate for Training Purposes
The information I’ve given you so far is like a general guide to tracking your heart rate. Think of it as a safety guide.
However, if you go more in-depth with tracking heart rate, you can then use it as a tool to meet your fitness goals.
I get it – for the non-athlete that sounds like a lot of work. Relax! It’s not. You just need to turn tracking into a habit, and it will become a natural part of your routine.
To use heart rate tracking as a training tool, you’ll need to know about the five heart rate zones as well as aerobic and anaerobic thresholds. Here is a breakdown of these points.
The Five Heart Rate Zones
There are five heart rate zones that correspond to how intense your workout is. The zones range from 50% of your maximum heart rate up to 100% of it. The zones are as follows:
- Zone 1 – 50%-60%
- Noticeably light intensity workout. Suitable for a warm-up, recovery, or cool down workout.
- Zone 2 – 60%-70%
- Still considered a light workout. This zone is great for building endurance.
- Zone 3 – 70%-80%
- This is a moderate level. You’ll get a good workout at this level. You’ll also start to build lactic acid, which I’ll discuss in the next sections.
- Zone 4 – 80%-90%
- This is a hard workout level. At this level, you’re building your speed endurance and you’re burning a good bit of glucose (carbs) for energy.
- Zone 5 – 90%-100%
- This is the maximum effort you can give. You shouldn’t (and probably can’t) workout with this intensity for an extended amount of time. You’ll develop a significant amount of lactic acid in a short period of time. Some people incorporate this level in interval training.
Aerobic and Anaerobic Thresholds
In the above section, I told you I would discuss the lactic acid situation. It goes hand-in-hand with this section on aerobic and anaerobic thresholds.
Lactic acid is a by-product that is created when your body needs to create energy without using oxygen (anaerobic methods).
This definition probably gives you a few extra questions and I’ll get to them soon. Just keep this in mind as I begin discussing aerobic and anaerobic thresholds.
Aerobic vs. Anaerobic
Aerobic and anaerobic thresholds are terms that can get thrown around a lot, but many people don’t quite understand what they mean.
Aerobic threshold is that level of training that you can perform for hours–essentially zones 1 and 2 of your heart rate.
This is a level where you’re breathing is relatively normal and you’re taking in enough oxygen to power through your workout with no problem.
When you hit zone 3, you’re crossing the threshold into anaerobic territory. This is where you’re getting in a “good workout”.
You’re breathing is more labored and you start to feel some muscle burn. This is where you might not be taking in enough oxygen to power through your workout.
In zone 3, it’s not so bad. Once you hit zone 4 and especially zone 5, you’ll notice how winded you get. This happens to everyone, even athletes in top shape.
So now you know what aerobic vs. anaerobic means. I can tie in the lactic acid a little more fluidly, as well as what it has to do with tracking heart rate.
Lactic Acid in the Anaerobic State
When you start feeling short of breath, you’ll notice that you can still continue working out.
That’s because your body compensates for the lack of oxygen by producing energy through another means.
In both states, your body uses the process of glycosis to break down glucose into a substance called pyruvate.
When you have plenty of oxygen, the pyruvate is burned off as excess energy. When you don’t, like when you’re in zones 3 to 5, your body breaks down pyruvate into lactate.
Lactate gives you that extra energy you need to power through a high-intensity workout for a few minutes, but in the process, it creates lactic acid.
As the muscles become more acidic, this works against your muscles’ efficiency. It causes you to feel the burn/pain as you push yourself which ultimately leads you to stop so that you don’t overexert yourself and/or injure yourself.
In fact, it’s in this state that you earn that dreaded next-day muscle soreness.
Once you stop for a period, the lactate turns back into pyruvate and your muscles recover.
That’s why it’s not recommended to do high-intensity exercise for a sustained period of time. Intervals, or HIIT training, is recommended instead.
What Does This Have to Do with Heart Rate Tracking?
In the beginning, if I had stated that tracking your heart rate can keep you from going over your aerobic threshold, you may not have known what I meant.
Now, it’s great that you know all about aerobic and anaerobic thresholds and lactic acid so it’s easier to understand.
Even if you aren’t some hard-core athlete (a non-athlete), knowing your aerobic threshold can keep you from tiring yourself out before you get the workout that you want.
You’ll know what your limit is before you get sore or cause an injury. In essence, it allows you to workout smarter, not harder.
Final Thoughts on Tracking Heart Rate
Tracking your heart rate isn’t just about looking at a number to see how hard you’re working. It can be used as a guide to accomplish certain goals in the gym.
With proper and consistent heart rate tracking, you’ll be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses, and have higher-quality workouts rather than general exercise sessions.
Eventually, you may even jump out of the non-athlete category into the big leagues.
If you just want to track your heart rate for health reasons, that’s okay also. It’s a great tool to make sure you’re working out safely and not overexerting yourself.
Whatever your reason may be, tracking your heart rate is a great idea.
