| Heart Rate Training: The Fast Way to Reach Your Weight Loss Goals |
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| Written by Torii Tompson |
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If you want to get an effective workout and reach your fitness goals sooner, you should consider heart rate training. Heart rate training is the process of monitoring your heart's rate during your fitness routine and then actively raising and lowering it through the duration of your workout. Studies show that individuals who are heart rate training lose weight and reach their fitness goals sooner than people who are doing regular forms of exercise. To start heart rate training you must know what your maximum heart rate is as it will be the number that you use to determine your heart rate zones. However, before you get started learning what your maximum heart rate is, you should realistically judge which fitness category you fall within: Poor Shape: You have been sedentary and you haven't exercised in the past eight weeks or longer. Fair Shape: You are fairly active and walk more than a mile, or do some type of aerobic activity, at least three times a week. Good Shape: You exercise almost daily and/or you run five or more miles weekly. After you have determined your fitness level, you can do the following test to find your maximum heart rate. While this test won't give you your exact maximum heart rate, it will get you in the immediate vicinity. One Mile Walking Test: Use a treadmill or go to a track where you can accurately walk one mile. Walk at a steady and even pace. The last quarter of your mile you should take your heart rate. If you listed your fitness level as poor, add 40 to this number. If you listed your fitness level as fair, add 50 to this number. If you listed your fitness level as good, add 60 to this number. Once you know what your maximum heart rate is, you can begin heart rate training. The easiest way to keep up with your heart rate during a workout is to use a machine that has a heart rate control monitor. Most quality treadmills and fitness machines come with heart rate control monitors. A monitor will tell you what your heart rate is during your workout so you know what heart rate zone you are in at any given time. A heart rate monitor becomes your personal trainer and takes the guesswork out of heart rate training. The readings let you know when you are over exerting yourself, or when you should give yourself a little extra push so you can stay in a target zone longer, or even push yourself up to the next heart rate zone. Various Heart Rate Training Zones A heart rate training routine should last between 20-30 minutes, and you should cycle in and out of the different heart rate zones throughout the workout. Healthy Heart Zone: In this zone your heart rate is 50%-60% of your maximum heart rate and you can easily talk to someone. Fitness Zone: Your breathing will be heavier in this zone and you may find it difficult to talk, but you will be able to speak in quick, short sentences. Your heart rate is 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate. Aerobic Zone: In this zone your heart rate is 70%-80% of your maximum heart rate and you should only be able to speak in phrases. Anaerobic Zone: Your breathing will be labored and you will only be able to gasp out a word or two. Your heart rate is 80%-90% of your maximum heart rate. Red Line Zone: In this zone you are at, or near, your maximum heart rate and breathing will be nearly impossible. As you can see, heart rate training allows you to use every moment of your workout time more efficiently. Using a treadmill, or other machine, that is equipped with a heart rate monitor will help you know exactly what your heart is doing at all times. Using these machines will take the guesswork taken out of heart rate training so you can be certain that you are one workout closer to reaching your goals. About Author: The Sole F80 treadmill is one of the top selling folding treadmills with heart rate monitoring. Get the indepth review of this home treadmill and other best rated treadmills here. Kindly provided by 4Girls.dk You are welcome to use this article on your own website, if you include this link. |