How to Determine Your Active Heart Rate

We all know that it's important to get plenty of exercise to maintain proper health. An important aspect of cardiovascular exercise is keeping your active heart rate in an appropriate range for your age. Monitoring your heart rate and keeping it within the safe range makes your workout more effective, which in turn leads to better health in the long run.

Instructions

  1. Targetting Your Active Heart Rate

    • 1

      Open your web browser, and navigate to a site with a target heart rate calculator. Sites such as www.cancer.org/healthy/toolsandcalculators/calculators/app/target-heart-rate-calculator and www.active.com/fitness/calculators/heartrate are good examples of online heart rate calculators.

    • 2

      Enter the required information in the empty boxes of the target heart rate calculator. The calculator may ask for your age, as well as the level of exercise. A level of 55 to 85 percent is recommended.

    • 3

      Click the "Calculate" button, and read the target heart rate range that is displayed by the calculator. Your active heart rate should fall in this range in order for your workout to be most effective and safe.

    Measuring Your Active Heart Rate

    • 4

      Place two fingers over one of the blood vessels on your neck (the carotid artery) immediately after you stop exercising. The vessels are located about an inch to the left or right of your Adam's apple.

    • 5

      Count the number of times you feel a pulse over a ten second interval.

    • 6

      Multiply the number you counted by six. The result is your calculated heart rate in beats per minute.