Increase stamina and heart health by pacing yourself!

Exercise is one of the major ways to increase cardiovascular health. Many people start a workout not knowing where to start. The aim of a good workout is to get the heart pumping and increase blood flow. Pacing yourself; starting slow, and gradually increasing the difficulty will help you maintain a longer workout without tiring too quickly. It ultimately leads to a healthier body overall including less fat and a stronger heart. Pacing involves watching your target heart rate, and heart rate is a good measurement of the effectiveness of your workout.

Your target heart rate is the number of heart beats with which you want to maintain for at least 15 minutes during a run, walk, or other activity. Ideally, new exercisers should focus on a target heart rate that is 50% of the maximum heart rate. Heart rate is calculated in a number of ways including measurement of pulse rate, and even using sensors on an exercise machine.

If you are unable to take your pulse, there are other options to measure the efficiency of the workout. Without a pulse, you can measure your workout’s effectiveness by breathing capacity. If you can walk and talk normally while exercising, then you’re probably not raising your heart rate adequately. If you run out of breath and need to pause for air, your workout is probably too strenuous.

What is my Target Heart Rate?

The target heart rate recommended for experienced exercisers is 85% of the maximum heart rate. Maximum heart rate is calculated as 220 minus your age. This is the heart rate at which you should not exceed.

For instance, a 30 year old person has a maximum heart rate of 190. A beginner, at 50%, should set their target heart rate at 95 beats per minute. After approximately 6 months of exercising, your target heart rate should increase to 85% of the maximum heart rate, which is 162 beats per minute for a 30 year old individual.

Pacing

One of the important factors of starting a fitness programme is working up to the long, rigorous exercises of the experts. Pushing too hard causes frustration, and most people quit when they are unable to make unattainable goals. Poor workouts below the target heart range also cause frustration since little results are seen.

The best way to pace a workout is to start slowly and work up to more difficult tasks. The goal is to be at your target heart rate for approximately 15–20 minutes several times a week. Start your workout at a 50% target heart rate. Once you feel comfortable at this pace, move to 60%, slowly increasing endurance and goals. After approximately 6 months, you will feel comfortable at the best target heart rate of 85% of your maximum.

Creating a pace and target heart rate that is right for you will keep you healthy and increase your cardiovascular health.

This article was written by Caroline Gibson Caroline is a syndicated medical writer specialising in articles devoted to health, fitness, and medicine. Although her range of experience varies, she excels in extensively researched articles on human health.