What Level of Exercise Is Needed to Effectively Affect a Heart Rate?

Exercise is like a magic pill with benefits ranging from a reduction in the risk of heart disease and other conditions such as stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes, to loss of weight, improved mood and an increase in energy. These benefits are found when you participate in regular physical activity. Simply moving is not enough, though. Your activity needs to be at a specific intensity level to make changes in your heart rate.

  1. Pulse

    • Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats in one minute. Each time your heart contracts, blood is forced out of the heart's chambers and into your blood stream. During exercise, the speed of your heart rate increases to keep up with the increase in oxygen demands from the working muscles. The faster you move, and the higher the workout intensity level, the faster your heart beats in response.

    Target Heart Rate

    • The level of exercise that affects your heart rate is determined with an age-based formula. Subtract your age from 220 to calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR). For example, if you are 40 years old, your MHR is 180 beats per minute. This is the highest exercise intensity level that is recommended for a 40-year old. Your target heart rate is a percentage of your MHR. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends an exercise pulse rate between 60 and 90 percent of your MHR. Multiply your MHR by 0.60 and 0.90 to calculate your target heart rate range. For example, 180 times 0.60 and 0.90 equals a target heart rate range of 108 to 162 beats per minute.

    Heart Rate Changes

    • A workout at an intensity level between 60 and 90 percent of your MHR improves your resting heart rate. During exercise, your heart rate elevates to accommodate the need for more oxygen. With training, your heart becomes more efficient with each beat, meaning it has to pump fewer times to move the same volume of blood.

    Guidelines

    • The American College of Sports Medicine recommends cardiovascular exercise on most days of the week for at least 20 to 60 minutes. You can accumulate exercise in 10-minute sessions throughout the day. Choose exercises that are consistent and rhythmic such as walking, cycling, rowing and swimming, as opposed to strength-training exercises, which should also be a part of your week, but have a different affect on heart rate. Your heart does not know which exercise you perform, so select activities you enjoy and ones that you will do on most days of the week.