We’ve all seen lately how strenuous exercise can pose a risk to your heart health. A truly uncontrolled heart rate that is shooting dangerously high during a workout can prove to be quite dangerous.
So how do you know what your safe heart rate range is? The formula to calculate maximum heart rate is a standard in cardiology as well as fitness programs.
Dr. Sanjay Mittal, Director, Clinical and Preventive Cardiology, Heart Institute, Medanta explains, “The standard formula to calculate how fast a human heart can beat is by subtracting a person’s age from 220. The number that comes up is the maximum heart rate. For example, if you are 50, you would subtract 50 from 220, which is 170. This tells you that 170 is 100 percent of your heart rate potential. And when you’re working out, it should reach about 70 percent of its total capacity. This is your safe range.”
But is it okay to obsessively check your heart rate? “The exercise isn’t bad, but it shouldn’t turn into paranoia. There’s a thin line between moderate level exercise and vigorous exercise, which we just saw, it depends on individual ability. If you can get around your heart rate, If you’re reaching 70 percent, that’s moderate exercise. But if you exceed that limit, you enter the strenuous exercise range.
If you’re below 70 percent of your capacity, you can last longer. Do not exercise vigorously for more than 10 minutes. It is important for people to limit their bursts.
The recommended guideline for working out is 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week or 150 minutes of moderate-level exercise per week. There’s actually data to suggest that if you do more than 300 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, based on your individual ability, you’re burning yourself out.
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