Exercise has various benefits for the body, one of which is increasing the strength of the heart muscle and improving blood circulation. When exercising, it is important to exercise according to your abilities to ensure your activities are safe and help you achieve your fitness goals more quickly.

What Is Heart Rate?

Heart rate, also known as pulse, is the number of heartbeats that occur per minute. Normally, the resting heart rate of an adult ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. However, heart rate can vary depending on the level of activity, exercise intensity, fitness level, and other factors such as age, medications, health conditions, and emotional responses.

What Is the Ideal Heart Rate While Exercising?

When exercising, you need to know how much your heart rate is to measure whether your body is working too hard or not. By knowing the ideal heart rate during exercise, you can adjust the intensity of exercise to the level of health and body needs.

Maximum Heart Rate (MHR)

Maximum heart rate, or MHR, is the highest number of beats your heart can safely reach during physical activity. The formula to calculate your maximum heart rate is to subtract your current age from 220.

For example, if you are 30 years old, your maximum heart rate (MHR) is 220 - 30, which equals 190. However, this number serves only as a guideline; your actual maximum heart rate may differ.

As people age, their heart’s ability to beat at maximum capacity gradually declines. According to Verywell Fit, the formula for calculating MHR is as follows:

206.9 - (0.67 × age)

his formula is still a subject of research, as many underestimate MHR for those over 30. This means that if you are over 30, the MHR calculation can use a deviation of +11/-11 from your MHR range.

For example, if you are 35 years old, your MHR calculated using the above formula is 183, so your maximum heart rate could range from 172 to 194. For women and the elderly, the maximum heart rate may be slightly higher compared to men.

Target Heart Rate

Target heart rate is the heart rate you aim to achieve during exercise. This number can serve as a reference for determining workout intensity. While it is an estimate, the target heart rate provides an idea of how hard you need to move while exercising. Staying within your target heart rate zone ensures your workout is both safe and effective.

Knowing your ideal heart rate while exercising can help you perform your workouts safely and effectively, allowing you to achieve your desired fitness goals.

Based on the table, you can choose the type of exercise according to the intensity of exercise you need. Each exercise intensity produces a different heart rate that you can adjust according to your needs.

Low intensity means you only exercise at a target of around 57%-63% of your maximum heart rate. Low-intensity exercise can help relieve stress and reduce the risk of high blood pressure and vascular problems.

Some types of low-intensity exercise that you can try include yoga, pilates, walking, and flexibility exercises.

Moderate-intensity exercises that you can do include swimming, brisk walking, cycling, and jogging. For those of you who want to increase the intensity of your exercise to reach a strong and maximum intensity, you can increase the duration of running, swimming or other exercises you do.

For optimal exercise, measure your heart rate 5 minutes before you start your workout and count it again before you cool down. You can do this by placing two fingers on your wrist to check your pulse or using an automatic heart rate monitor on a smartwatch or fitness tracker.

Exercising according to your heart rate zone can maximize your workout. It can also help maintain heart health, increase endurance, and improve mood. Before starting a new exercise routine, it's best to consult your doctor to find a workout that suits your needs and abilities.

If you need medical advice or consultation, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.

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