Aerobic exercise is when your body uses oxygen in a process that breaks down glucose and fat for energy to fuel physical activity. This kind of activity makes your heart and lungs work harder to get oxygen-rich blood to your muscles and causes your heart rate to speed up. So, it’s important to know the safe range (your target heart rate) for how fast your heart beats to help you get benefit from physical activity without overworking this vital muscle.
The American Heart Association recommends people aim for a general target heart rate (THR) of:
- 50% to 69% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) during moderate-intensity exercise
- 70% to 85% of your maximum heart rate (MHR) when exercising at vigorous intensity.
Your maximum heart rate is estimated by deducting your age from the number 220 and is expressed in beats per minute (bpm).
You’re considered to be doing moderate-intensity activity when your heart rate is slightly increased and you’re breathing harder (as a guide, you can talk comfortably but probably won’t have enough breath to sing). When you’re doing vigorous-intensity activity, you likely find yourself ‘huffing and puffing’ and find it difficult to talk in full sentences.
