How to Increase Heartbeat Rate

Your heart is a muscle, and like all muscles, it needs work to stay in shape. Increasing your heart rate can keep your heart strong and your circulatory system clean and efficient. There are lots of ways to increase your heart rate -- some of them very unhealthy -- but health professionals agree that a carefully paced cardiovascular workout is the best.

Instructions

    • 1

      Figure out your target heart rate. Your target heart rate is 50 to 85% of your maximum heart rate, and according to the American Heart Association, your maximum heart rate is approximately the number 220 minus your age.

    • 2

      Choose your workout. Heart-healthy exercise includes running, jogging, cross-country skiing and using gym equipment such as the elliptical trainer or stationary bicycle. Sports also will work out your heart, but it is hard to monitor your heart rate while chasing a soccer ball or running down a basketball court.

    • 3

      Practice taking your pulse. Place two fingers on the underside of your wrist, just below the thumb, or place your middle and index finger on either side of your neck, next to your windpipe. Look at your watch and count the heartbeats for 15 seconds. Multiply that number by 4, and that number represents the number of times your heart is beating per minute.

    • 4

      Begin activity. If you're new to working out, choose moderate activity such as walking or slow jogging. The American Heart Association recommends starting with workouts that keep your heart beating around 50 percent of your maximum heart rate. Take your pulse every few minutes to make sure you're not working too hard, or not hard enough.

    • 5

      Keep the pace. Once you have reached your target heart rate, maintain that level of activity until it's time to cool down. When planning how long to work out, consider that the American Heart Association recommends at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity five times a week for adults between 18 and 65.

    • 6

      Cool down. Every healthy workout ends with a cool-down period -- anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes of light activity to ease your heart back to its resting rate.

    • 7

      Increase gradually. The American Heart Association recommends increasing the intensity of your workouts over several weeks and pushing your heart rate to about 75% of its maximum rate. After about six months, you should be able to work out at up to 85% of your maximum heart rate.