|
Your heart is the most important muscle in your
body. In fact, it serves as a barometer for the rest of your body, telling you how hard
you are loading your body, e.g. during daily tasks or exercising. Like any muscle, it
needs to be exercised. Exercising at the right level of intensity is important in order to
ensure a healthy and efficient heart. Your heart is a living pump that circulates blood,
rich in oxygen from breathing, from your lungs to your trunk and lower extremities. The
condition of the heart varies between people, but even your own heart rate will vary
greatly due to the influence of such factors as:
- Intensity of physical activity, e.g. exercise
- Emotions, stress
- Onset of a disease, heat, altitude
- Consumption of stimulants, e.g. coffee or alcohol.
When you have a strong heart, you feel active, healthy and
energetic. At the same time this will reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases and
problems connected with ageing. The stress level during daily tasks will decrease and you
will be able to work more effectively. To achieve all these benefits of regular aerobic
exercise, it is important to do the workouts safely at the right intensity level.
Polar wireless Heart Rate Monitors measure your
cardiovascular and physiological stress during training sessions and during daily living.
They provide you with an accurate gauge of the intensity of an exercise, as this will be
reflected in your heart rate. The harder you exercise, the higher the heart rate. Because
hard work alone does not guarantee better results, it is important to exercise within your
personal target heart rate zones.
TARGET HEART RATE ZONES
Whatever your goals - improving your overall health, weight
management or winning athletic competitions - you can eliminate guesswork by exercising
within a specific target heart rate zone. The target zone chart shows age-related average
heart rates (based on estimated maximum heart rates) which enable you to achieve your
personal goals. You can exercise effectively within a target zones only if you know how
fast your heart is beating throughout your workout. And now, thanks to advanced Polar
technology, wireless electronic heart rate monitors make heart rate monitoring easy and
fun to do.
Determine your own exercise targets and choose an exercise
prescription:
| |
Moderate Daily Activity |
Weight Management |
Aerobic Training |
Improved Fitness |
Increased Performance |
| Intensity level |
light |
light-moderate |
moderate-heavy |
heavy |
heavy-maximal |
| Percentage of Max HR |
50 - 60 |
60 - 70 |
70 - 80 |
80 - 90 |
90 - 100 |
| Exercise duration |
30 min - 1 h (even up to 2 hrs) |
depends on training program etc. |
| Exercise frequency |
3-5 times a week (even daily) |
depends on training program etc. |
| During exercise |
slight or no breathlessness and sweating |
some breathlessness and sweating |
obvious breathlessness and sweating |
| Exercise goal |
to improve general wellness and cardiovascular
health |
to improve fitness |
to increase endurance capacity and fitness
performance |
| Recommended target group |
beginners, sedentary, overweight,
rehabilitates. |
persons who exercise regularly |
persons who are already exercising and have no
health problems |
The following Target Range Chart will help you to
stay in the right Target Zone:
- Locate your age.
- Locate the target which you have just determined. Each target is
shaded differently.
- Read up from your age to the target you have chosen.
- Draw a straight line to the left from the upper edge of the target
and you will find the Upper Limit of your Target Zone.
- Then draw another straight line to the left from the lower edge of
the target and you will find the Lower Limit for your Target Zone.
- You have now defined your Target Zone. As you exercise, make sure
that your heart rate stays within the Target Zone (between the Lower Limit and the Upper
Limit) to get the maximum benefit out of your workout.
When determining the correct intensity level on Target Heart Rate
Zone for a workout you should bear in mind the following factors which may influence the
result and cause it to differ from that given in the chart for an average exerciser:
- current fitness level and general level of physical activity
- normal individual resting heart rate
To know your exact intensity level, you should consult your
doctor or trainer. In any case, you should consult a doctor before starting any strenuous
exercise program.
|
