willgetyoufit

We’ve all heard of training at your specified heart rate but what heart rate suits your goals the best? There are five proposed heart rate zones: Healthy, Temperate, Aerobic, Threshold, and Red Line.

Zone 1: Healthy Heart – 50 to 60% of HRmax. This zone is theorized to improve metabolic and emotional health. It is low intensity and has been shown to lower cholesterol, emotional stress and improves blood pressure.

Zone 2: Temperate – 60 – 70% of HRmax. This zone is more of a moderate intensity and burns more calories via fat than zone 1. Sometimes this is also called the “recovery zone” used after workouts to remove lactic acid and expedite fat utilization.

Zone 3: Aerobic – 70 to 80% of HRmax. Zone 3 is good for improvements in endurance, the ability to sustain exercise for long periods of time before fatiguing. It is theorized to work by improving the body’s production of energy at the cellular level, enhancing fat utilization and increasing total calorie expenditure. This level would be on the harder side for the average person who is in decent shape.

Zone 4: Threshold – 80 to 90% HRmax. This zone is usually recommended only for athletes; however, it is for anyone who wants to get fitter faster. The reason to spend time in this zone is to improve aerobic capacity.

Zone 5: RED LINE – 90 to 100% HRmax. This is near to all out effort and only can be sustained for seconds at a time even by top athletes. This zone is contraindicated for anyone not in top physical condition due to its potential metabolic stress on the body.

Ref — I.F.J. (2011)