We’ve all heard the exercise guidelines that recommend
we participate in 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity
3-5 times per week. That seems easy enough to implement. Or, does
it? The duration and frequency guidelines are very straight-forward
and easily defined. But, “moderate” intensity is often
left to interpretation. So, how do we define “moderate”?...
First we need to understand that the definition of moderate intensity
can be completely different from one individual to another. For
example, a well-trained athlete may be in the moderate zone when
running 5 miles in 30 minutes. Yet, for a novice exerciser who
is very overweight, moderate means walking one mile in 30 minutes.
Don’t let this confuse you. While the intensity level is
very critical in the overall guideline, fortunately it’s
also fairly easily identified. The ACSM (American College of Sports
Medicine) defines moderate as an intensity of 40 percent to 60
percent VO2 maximum. But, since most of us don’t know how
to determine our VO2 maximum, there are easier definitions to
utilize.
You can base VO2 loosely on your maximum target heart rate zone.
A VO2 maximum of 40-60% equates to about 50 to 70 percent of maximum
heart rate (MHR). And determining your MHR and the corresponding
percent zones is relatively simple. Below is an easy calculation
for determining your specific MHR and what 50-70 percent of equates
to.
Target Heart Rate Zone
· Take 220 and subtract your age. This equals your MHR.
(Example: For a 30 year old your MHR is 190)
· Next to determine your low range of 50 percent, simply
take 190 and multiply it times 50 percent. (Example: For a 30
year old this would equal 95).
· Finally, to determine your high range of 70 percent,
simply take 190 and multiply it times 70 percent. (Example: For
a 30 year old this would equal 133).
So, in this example the 30 year-old would want to exercise in
a heart rate range of somewhere between 95 - 133 BPM. Keep in
mind that this calculation is age-related. It does not take into
consideration your fitness level. So, it is not completely accurate,
but still a good guideline. For an even more accurate (and more
complicated) method for determining your training intensity range,
visit this link: http://www.workoutsforyou.com/intensity.htm
Also, some medications can raise or lower your heart rate and
change the heart’s response to exercise. Beta-blockers are
among those that alter the heart rate. This means that people
taking these types of prescriptions should probably use another
option for monitoring their intensity.
