Effective Cardio!
Hey there fellow readers and bloggers,
Lately I have been hearing a lot about cardio and it's myths. Cardio isn't as complicated as it seems, however you do need to know how to do it properly for the workout to be effective.
The real trick is, is working out the target heart range.
What's target heart range? It's beats per minute you want to have while exercising your cardio.
(There are plenty of ways to work your cardio. For example: running, biking, swimming, skipping, and even handball! Infact, handball can burn up to 480 calories within 30 minutes.)
To find this out you want to work a small equation. You want to subtract your age with 220, after that you want to take your resting heart rate and minus that by your current number.
(example: 220 - 22 = 198 then 198 - 58bpm = 140)
Once you have that number, you want to multiply it by the intensity you feel is challenging for your body type. For today, we'll use 55%, which is going to be my lower heart rate. In a minute, we'll do the same thing but with 64% which will be my upper target heartrate.
(example: 140 x 0.55 = 77)
Then with 77 add in your resting heartrate again.
(example: 77 + 58 = 135)
Now that we have 135, that is the lower target heart range. To find out my upper target heart range I do the same equation but with 64%.
220 - 22 = 198
198 - 58 = 140
140 x 0.64 = 89.6
89.6 + 58 = 147.6
And since we have 147.6 ... we'll round it off to 148.
Now, you're probably wondering why we have done all that. While you're exercising on the treadmill or whatever it is you do, you want to have your heartrate within those two numbers. If you're below your lower target then you're not working hard enough and it won't be as effective. If you're well above that number and you are gasping for breathe, then you are working too hard.
The best way to know if it is right enough for you is ask yourself how you feel while doing it. If you can not last at a challenging pace for 15 minutes minimum, then lower your speed. If you feel like you can go for miles and haven't broken a sweat, then you should increase your speed and incline.
Try it and see if it works. 15 minutes minimum on the treadmill at least 3 times a week working at your target heart range.
If you have further questions, feel free to contact me through active cambridge or e-mail me at James@grandriverfitness.ca
Otherwise, feel free to ask me at Grand River Fitness the next time you see me in the gym!
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Heart range intensities include:
Begginer: 55% - 64%
Intermediate: 65% - 74%
Advanced: 75% - 84%