Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on October 06, 2023
Question 1/7

Your target heart rate helps you figure out:

  • How fast your heart beats when you’re active
  • If you’re exercising at the right intensity
  • If you’re about to have a heart attack

Your target heart rate tells you if you're exercising too hard or not hard enough. Everyone's target is different, but in general, during moderate or vigorous exercise, you want it to be between 50% and 85% of your maximum heart rate, which is the hardest your heart can work safely.

Question 2/7

To find your maximum heart rate, take:

  • 220 minus your age
  • 200 minus your age
  • 175 minus your age

This is the fastest your heart can beat during physical activity. Like your target heart rate, your maximum heart rate is an estimate. If you feel like you can’t breathe or talk, or you get dizzy while exercising, that’s a sign you’re overdoing it. Slow down. You may be at risk of hurting your heart.

Question 3/7

As long as your heart rate is under your maximum, everything is fine.

  • True
  • False

If you raise your heart rate much past 90% of its maximum, you could strain it. But with regular exercise you can strengthen it, allowing you to reach greater heights.

Question 4/7

Using a heart rate monitor can help you get fit.

  • True
  • False

Wearable electronic heart monitors, and exercise machines with built-in heart sensors, can give you up-to-the-minute information on how hard your heart is working. That can tell you how hard you’re exercising. It can help you pace yourself, too. It may even help keep you motivated.They aren’t a necessity unless your doctor says so, but they can help you get the most out of exercise.

Question 5/7

How often should you check your heart rate during exercise?

  • Closely (at least every minute or so)
  • It depends on your health and fitness goals
  • Only after you’ve stopped exercising

If you have a heart condition or other medical problem, your doctor may ask you to monitor it during exercise to make sure you don’t push your heart too hard. But even if you're healthy, you may want to keep an eye on it (say, every 5 to 10 minutes, or when you increase your intensity). It will help you know how hard you’re working and if you’re keeping your heart safe.

Question 6/7

When you’re doing interval training, your heart rate should:

  • Stay in one spot
  • Climb to a high rate and stay there
  • Vary between moderate and high rates

This kind of exercise involves switching between low- or moderate-intensity exercise and bursts of vigorous exercise. One way to figure out how hard to exercise during each interval is to monitor your heart rate. During low to moderate periods, it should be about half of your maximum heart rate. During vigorous exercise, shoot for 70% to 85%.

Question 7/7

Which is better for you?

  • Lower resting heart rate
  • Higher resting heart rate

Exercise strengthens your heart. That means it doesn’t have to work as hard to push blood through your body, which lowers your resting heart rate. A lower resting heart rate is linked to a longer life. Book some time in the gym and make your heart more efficient.

Show Sources

IMAGE PROVIDED BY:

1) Getty

 

SOURCES:

American Council on Exercise: “High Intensity Interval Training.”

American Heart Association: "All About Heart Rate (Pulse)," "Target Heart Rates."

CDC: "Target Heart Rate and estimated Maximum Heart Rate."

Tim Church, MD, MPH, PhD, professor of preventative medicine, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University.

Jensen, M. Heart, June 2013.

Kiviniemi, A. European Journal of Applied Physiology, September 2007.

Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, director of women and heart health, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York.

University of New Mexico: “HIIT Vs. Continuous Endurance Exercise.”

Whyte, G. International Journal of Sports Medicine, February 2008.

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