Is Your Workout Working?

You are the picture of fitness. You spend an hour at the gym every other day. You stretch before and after exercise. You even drink a glass of chocolate milk after working out. Your diet's fine. Your cholesterol is fine. You think you've got it all together, so why aren't you feeling any better? Why is your progress so slow? While there are many possible answers, it could be as simple as this: you're not exercising in your target heart rate.

Target heart rate, or THR, is a range of heart rates achieved during aerobic exercises that benefit your heart and lungs the most. If you're not reaching your THR during exercise, your heart and lungs aren't benefiting as much as they could. If your heart and lungs aren't benefiting, you won't be able to improve endurance. Without cardiovascular and pulmonary endurance, you won't be able to achieve a truly aerobic workout and may have a hard time burning fat.

Luckily, you can calculate your target heart rate using the following steps. Please note, these formulae are rules of thumb and do not apply to those with pacemakers, conditions or medications that alter heart rate (including beta-blockers), or chronic atrial fibrillation. It's always best to consult your doctor before adopting a new exercise routine.

1. Calculate your maximum heart rate, or HR_max.

a. 220 - your age = HR_max

b. For example, a 30-year old man's maximum heart rate can be calculated as 220 - 30 = 190

2. Calculate your THR depending on workout intensity

a. For light to moderate exercise, attempt 50-70% of your HR_max.

b. For vigorous exercise, attempt 70-85% of your HR_max.

You can check your pulse by placing your first and middle fingers over your radial artery at your wrist. To do this, hold your hand palm-up and palpate until you find a pulse. Count the number of beats in a 30-second period and multiply the number by two. If you're within your target heart rate, you're on the way to a healthier body and more successful weight loss. If you're having a hard time finding your pulse, you can try the "talk test." If you are able to carry on a conversation while working out, you're most likely not exercising hard enough. Be careful, though. If you're too out of breath to speak at all, you're working out too hard and should slow down.