What is the Best Heart Rate for Fat Loss?
Hint: It’s not 220 minus your age.
As you know, tracking your heart rate during exercise is important. Aside from showing how intense your workout is, your heart’s beats per minute (BPM) is also a good indicator of overall cardiovascular health.
But what makes a “healthy” heart rate? What heart rate should you aim for during exercise to meet your fitness goals? Answers to those questions (and more) are below.
What Your Heart Does
The main function of your heart is to pump blood, which carries oxygen, throughout your body. In general, a lower heart rate is better — especially if you’re at rest — because it means your heart isn’t working too hard and wearing itself out too quickly.
Even during exercise, when your heart rate goes up due to your body’s increased need for oxygen, it’s important that you don’t overexert yourself to the point that you’ll increase your chances of injury. You need to find a balance between raising your heart rate enough to enjoy the full benefits of exercise, and keeping it low enough to avoid stressing your body.
That’s where calculating your target heart rate comes in.
Use the 180 Formula Instead
Traditionally, the target heart rate is calculated as the difference between 220 and your age (also known as your maximum heart rate), multiplied by a percentage based on the intensity of the activity you’re engaged in.
For example, if you’re a 30-year-old engaged in moderate intensity exercise, your target heart rate is between 95 to 131 beats per minute — since your maximum heart rate is 190 (220 – 30), and your BPM for moderate intensity exercises is between 50 to 69 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Although the 220 formula is appealing for its simplicity, clinician Dr. Phil Maffetone found that athletes who use the formula often end up overtrained, or experiencing problems during workouts. To work around this, Dr. Maffetone created the 180 formula as follows.
Get the difference between your age and 180.
Add/Subtract from the result, depending on your fitness and health profile.
If you’re currently recovering from a major illness or injury, subtract 10.
If you’re injured, suffer from illness on a regular basis, or train for inconsistent periods of time, subtract 5.
If you train consistently for at least four times per week, and haven’t suffered any of the above, don’t add/subtract anything.
If you train consistently for at least two years, haven’t suffered any of the problems mentioned in the first two points, and have progressed in competition without injury, add 5.
The result will be your ideal maximum heart rate during exercise. It may seem a little slow at first, but over time your body will quicken its pace at a lower heart rate, lightening the stress on your heart without sacrificing the intensity required to stay fit.
Keep in mind, however, that the formula isn’t applicable across the board. If you are over 65, under 16, or someone who is taking medication/has a heart condition that precludes you from intense exercises, it’s better to consult a professional who’s familiar with the 180 formula.
What do you think of the 180 formula? Have you tried it out for yourself? Give us a nudge in the comments, or have your say over at our Facebook page.