Is Your Exercise Doing Enough For Your Health?

Is your exercise doing enough for your health? That is an essential question that you will want to ask yourself as you are working out. Just because you spend an hour at the gym, it doesn’t mean that you’re getting the benefits of a good workout. In order to get the full benefits of exercise, you should aim for cardiovascular exercises that raise your heart rate, burn fat, and result in weight-loss or weight maintenance. Keep reading to find out if you’re getting the most out of your exercise. 


As you get older, your metabolism slows down, as does your heart rate. This is the reason why it is so difficult for most people to lose weight as they get older. In order to burn off fat, you need to raise your heart rate to a targeted level, or 50-85 percent of your maximum heart rate. However, that optimal heart rate level varies, depending on your age. For instance, the desired heart rate for someone who is 40 years old and working out is lower than someone who is 20. If you’re not raising your heart rate, you are not getting the full benefits of your workout. The following chart outlines the suggested levels for different age groups:

Age   Target Heart Rate              Maximum Heart Rate
20    100-170 beats per minute   200 beats per minute
25    98-166 beats per minute    195 beats per minute
30    95-162 beats per minute    190 beats per minute
35    93-157 beats per minute    185 beats per minute
40    90-153 beats per minute    180 beats per minute
45    88-149 beats per minute    175 beats per minute
50    85-145 beats per minute    170 beats per minute
55    83-140 beats per minute    165 beats per minute
60    80-136 beats per minute    160 beats per minute
65    78-132 beats per minute    155 beats per minute
70    75-128 beats per minute    150 beats per minute

Your maximum heart rate is approximately 220 minus your age. Of course, the above numbers are averages so use them as a general rule.

How Can You Measure Your Heart Rate?
Most exercise machines today that give you a good cardiovascular workout have a “grip” that you can use to measure your heart rate. Some of these machines are not completely accurate, so if you have any question, you should measure your heart rate manually or invest in a heart rate monitor.

If you are working out in an aerobics class or at home, you can measure your heart rate by yourself. You do this by putting two fingers lightly to your neck (or wrist) and finding the heart pulses that run through your artery. Time the beats by using a stop watch or counting seconds on a clock. You don’t have to time for a whole minute, either. Simply monitor for ten seconds, and then multiply by six to get your rate per minute.

What if You Have Trouble Reaching Your Target Heart Rate?
If you have a hard time getting your heart rate to the point where it should be while working out, you should work towards getting it up there by gradually increasing the intensity of your workout. Many people think that they are reaping benefits simply if they make it on the machine or go for a leisurely stroll. While any exercise is good, you are not getting the full benefits of a gym workout if you do not raise your heart rate when performing cardiovascular exercises. Remember, when you get your heart rate up to where you want it to be, you are burning calories and fat.

What are Some Good Cardiovascular Exercises?
Cardiovascular exercises include brisk walking, jogging, exercising on the elliptical machine, rowing and stair-climbing. Experts recommend that to increase your metabolism, these exercises are best performed in the morning. Of course, if you can’t get in a morning workout, you will still benefit from exercising any time of day.

What About Cooling Down?
After you have completed your workout, you should measure your heart rate again. During the cool down period, you heart rate should revert back to normal, or its “resting rate.” It is important to cool down for at least five minutes so that your heart rate declines naturally and not too quickly. 

If you are not monitoring your heart rate while performing cardiovascular exercises, chances are that you are not getting the most out of your workout. In order to benefit from your exercise routine, you need to regularly perform cardiovascular exercises and raise your heart rate to an appropriate level. Only then will you be doing enough to raise your metabolism so that you can lose weight, as well as benefit your overall health.