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Pulse Check
During exercise, you need to stop and do a quick pulse check at either your wrist or neck, count for the beats for ten seconds, then multiply by six. The result will now be in beats per minute (BPM).
To feel for a pulse simply:
- Use the index and middle fingers only
- Press lightly on the underside of the wrist or side of the neck until you feel the beat
- Count for ten seconds and note result
With a little practice this becomes a simple process. You might consider purchasing a heart rate monitor, a useful little gadget that will keep track of your heart rate for you, while you can view the beats per minute on a handy wrist watch.
Unfortunately, not everybody can use the 220 minus your age formula to calculate their maximum heart rates. Some individuals can run as much as 15 BPM above or below this standard. To determine true maximum heart rate (not an estimate), a cetain percentage of the population would have to run at full speed for 20 or 30 seconds and then do a pulse check. This procedure is NOT recommended, especially if you're out of shape. But there is another alternative, the talk test method.
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Talk Test Method
Use your breath as an alternative to heart rate to determine if you're in the aerobic zone. This is a convenient method to see if your body is working aerobically, and burning the most fat. Pay attention to how you're breathing and your ability to speak.
At subaerobic levels:
You can breathe comfortably. At this pace you can carry on a full conversation. Your heart rate is probably about half it's maximum or below. Great for long gentle workouts such as walking.
When working aerobically:
You can speak but not extensively -- about three words. A great way too see if you're training aerobically, is to attempt to sing a few words from a familiar song, and see how many syllables you can get out before you need an inbreath. Any more than three words you'd be training sub aerobically.
At anaerobic levels:
You're gasping for air. You can't speak three words without taking an inhalation. Remember, at higher levels of training (above 90 per cent of your maximum heart rate), your muscles switch to sugar as their major source of fuel supply. This kind of training has its place. It will tone and tighten, exactly what we want when resistance training and our aim is to tone up, but when exercising aerobically our goal is to burn fat.
Some common aerobic exercises include, jogging, brisk walking, bicycle riding, swimming and, circuit training (resistance exercises done in a series). Remebember - the exercise you choose to get fit is not as important as monitoring your heart or breathing rate during the activity, and working within your Target Heart Rate Zone for at least 15 to 30 minutes, three times per week for maximum fat burning.
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