Whoop Helps You Maintain Your Target Heart Rate Zone
WHOOP measures your heart rate 24/7 and quantifies the strain your body takes on each day. Every morning, the recovery metric tells you how prepared your body is to take on strain.
You can monitor your heart rate during activities using the Strain Coach. Once youve set your goal, it shows your heart rate in real time so youre better able to maintain your intended heart rate zone. It also shows how your strain begins to build and lets you know when youve hit the desired amount.
Tracking your strain and heart rate with the WHOOP Strain Coach lets you see how hard youre working to maintain your heart rate.
Know Your Numbers: Maximum And Target Heart Rate By Age
This table shows target heart rate zones for different ages. Your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age.3
In the age category closest to yours, read across to find your target heart rates. Target heart rate during moderate intensity activities is about 50-70% of maximum heart rate, while during vigorous physical activity its about 70-85% of maximum.
The figures are averages, so use them as a general guide.
The Optimal Training Pulse
Theory is all well and good but how do we now find the actual ideal heart rate for training? For this you can use the so-called Karvonen Formula. The criterium here is the heart rate reserve, that is the difference between the resting and maximum heart rates . The formula is:
Training heart rate = × factor + resting heart rate
There are of course different types of endurance training e.g. basic endurance training or aerobic endurance training so here we need to introduce a factor which changes the result. According to Karvonen the factors are as follows:
- For intense endurance training: 0.8
- For extensive endurance training at a more relaxed pace: 0.6
- And for the untrained: 0.5
So if we have a theoretical resting heart rate of 70, a maximum heart rate of 190 and are fairly untrained, we should begin to train with a pulse of around 130 beats per minute. In modern training science the so-called exercise zones have proven helpful. These give a percentage of the maximum heart rate. Depending on the source, these zones are also called training zones. These range from RECOM through BE1, BE2 and BE3 up to CSE .
| CSE | Approaching the maximum heart rate. May be harmful to the heart in recreational athletes! |
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How Do I Check My Resting Heart Rate
To check your heart rate:
- Sit down and rest for 5 minutes.
- Turn your wrist so your palm is facing up.
- Feel for a pulse at thumb side of your wrist.
- Once you feel it, count how many times you feel a beat in 30 seconds. Then double it.
If you cant find your pulse at your wrist, put 2 fingers on the side of your neck, next to the windpipe.
If you still cant find a pulse, ask someone else to feel it for you.
How Do You Know Your Heart Rate
Your heart rate is a measure of how fast your heart beats and is also an important indicator of good health. Your doctor will always make it a point to measure your heart rate whenever you visit him for your routine health checkup or any health-related problem.
While the heart rate is routinely examined by your doctor, you can also measure your heart rate. With the help of your middle finger and index finger, you have to first try to feel and locate your pulse at any of the following places
- Wrist
- The inner side of your elbow
- The base of the toe
- The side of your neck
The wrist is the most commonly used and convenient place to check your heart rate. Once you locate the pulse on your wrist, you have to gently press on it for 60 seconds and count the beats. This is how you will know your heart rate, which will be in beats per minute.
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Target Heart Rate Calculator
Ever ask yourself, “how do I find my target heart rate?” Finding your target heart rate is easy with our target heart rate calculator. Target heart rate calculation can be determined for any age and activity level, enabling you to use a heart rate monitor and get the most benefit from your workouts.
What Is Your Heart Rate
Your heart rate, or pulse, is the number of times your heart beats in 1 minute. Heart rates vary from person to person. Itâs lower when youâre at rest and higher when you exercise.
Knowing how to find your pulse can help you figure out your best exercise program. If youâre taking heart medications, recording your pulse daily and reporting the results to your doctor can help them learn whether your treatment is working.
Blood pressure vs. heart rate
Your heart rate is separate from your blood pressure. Thatâs the force of your blood against the walls of your blood vessels.
A faster pulse doesnât necessarily mean higher blood pressure. When your heart speeds up, like when you exercise, your blood vessels should expand to let more blood pass through.
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Heart Rate Tips To Keep In Mind
- Start at your beginning.;Before getting overly concerned about your heart rate, Martin says, its best to simply get moving. If you havent exercised much before, start where youre comfortable and gradually exert yourself more over time.
- Listen to your body.;Your body provides other indicators of how hard its working that you need to consider along with heart rate. Pay attention to how hard youre breathing or sweating, and stop if you feel very uncomfortable, Martin says. Devices recording your heart rate have been known to malfunction, for exampleanother reason listening to your body is important.
- Remember that target heart rate is just a guide.;Dont get overly fixated on numbers, Martin says. Ideally, they just push you to work a little harder.
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Target Heart Rate And Estimated Maximum Heart Rate
One way of checking physical activity intensity is to determine whether your pulse or heart rate is within the target zone during physical activity.1
For moderate-intensity physical activity, your target heart rate should be between 64% and 76%1,2 of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate based on your age. To estimate your maximum age-related heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, for a 50-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220 50 years = 170 beats per minute . The 64% and 76% levels would be:
- 64% level: 170 x 0.64 = 109 bpm, and
- 76% level: 170 x 0.76 = 129 bpm
This shows that moderate-intensity physical activity for a 50-year-old person will require that the heart rate remains between 109 and 129 bpm during physical activity.
For vigorous-intensity physical activity, your target heart rate should be between 77% and 93%1,2 of your maximum heart rate. To figure out this range, follow the same formula used above, except change 64 and 76% to 77 and 93%. For example, for a 35-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220 35 years = 185 beats per minute . The 77% and 93% levels would be:
- 77% level: 185 x 0.77 = 142 bpm, and
- 93% level: 185 x 0.93 = 172 bpm
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Track Your Heart Rate
Keeping track of your heart rate can give you insight into your fitness level, heart health and emotional health, Dr. Sinha says. Many people are walking around with a resting heart rate that is too high, due to factors such as too much caffeine, dehydration, inactivity and persistent stress. Those extra heart beats over time can be taking years off your life.
Dr. Sinha recommends tracking your heart rate as well as keeping a journal of which activities are causing higher heart rates. Then use that information to make changes, set priorities and move toward a healthier life. If daily stress is raising your resting heart rate, for example, think twice about taking on that extra project at work or school. Consider adding a morning walk or a 10-minute breathing session at lunch.
A final reminder from Dr. Sinha: Get your doctors OK before exercising hard if you have a heart condition or other disorder where exercising may be unsafe. Also keep in mind that certain medications can affect your heart rate, making it a less reliable measurement.
Why Is Heart Rate Recovery Important
Studies have indicated that the speed at which our heart rate declines after exercise is due to how quickly our nervous system shifts from sympathetic to parasympathetic.
The ability of our parasympathetic nervous system to reactivate is an important indicator of our cardiovascular health and fitness.
In fact, delayed or impaired parasympathetic activation has been shown to increase our risk for mortality and even sudden cardiac death. A 1994 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that heart rate recovery is slowed in patients with chronic heart failure, but it is accelerated in well-trained athletes.
Since then, several studies have found that heart rate recovery is a predictor of cardiovascular disease, as well as cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. It may also be used to monitor changes in cardiorespiratory exercise performance.
For instance, this study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, followed 2,428 adults for six years. At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that an abnormal heart rate recovery is a strong predictor of the risk of death.
If youd like to learn more about research on heart rate recovery, check out articles here, here, and here.
Further, as far as we could find, there is not a clear-cut criterion for an abnormal heart rate recovery. However, multiple studies examining some of the health risks associated with a slow recovery used 12 beats or less as the cutoff.
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How And Why To Calculate Your Target Heart Rate
Cardiovascular activities, like walking, jogging and biking, can help you develop or maintain the health of your heart, circulatory system and lungs. Not all cardio workouts are equal, however. How effective a workout is at boosting your cardiorespiratory system depends on the intensity of your session. To know whether youre exercising at the right intensity, first calculate your target heart rate and then periodically check your heart rate while youre working out to make sure you stay within this ideal range.
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Understanding Your Target Heart Rate
Nearly all exercise is good. But to be sure youre getting the most fromyour workout yet staying at a level thats safe for you, you can monitorhow hard your heart is working.
Aiming for whats called a target heart rate can help you do this, says Johns Hopkins cardiologist;Seth Martin, M.D., M.P.H.;Think of it as the sweet spot between not exercising hard enough and overexerting.
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When Should I Worry About My Heart Rate
Before you become worried over your heart rate, it is important to know the things that can increase or decrease your heart rate.;
Your heart rate might be increased
- Soon after you consume coffee or smoke
- Whenever you feel scared, anxious, or stressed out
- If the climate is hot and humid
- If you are obese
- If you are on certain medicines like decongestants
- If you indulge in binge drinking frequently
Health conditions that may increase your heart rate and could be improved upon by treatment;
- A thyroid disorder like hyperthyroidism
- Low hemoglobin level in the blood
Some conditions like supraventricular tachycardia may cause a sudden increase in your heart rate at rest. This is a medical emergency and needs immediate medical attention. This condition may lead to sudden death.
Consuming heavy amounts of alcohol frequently can lead to a fast and irregular heart rate . This again is a medical emergency.
A persistent high heart rate can also mean that the heart muscle is weakened, which forces it to pump harder to deliver the same amount of blood.;
You may have a lower resting heart rate due to
- Exercising regularly
- Low levels of thyroid hormones in the body
Certain medications like beta-blockers, which are used for treating hypertension and anxiety
You should also be concerned about your heart rate if you notice your heart beating on an irregular rhythm frequently. This can be a serious condition known as arrhythmia for which you should see your doctor right away.
Resting Heart Rate While You Sleep
Heart rate tracking isn’t just about exercise. Fitbit’s trackers are also able to keep track of your resting heart rate a metric which refers to the heart rate measurement when you’re awake, calm and have not recently exerted yourself.
In order to estimate this, Fitbit interprets data taken from when you’re awake and when you’re asleep, meaning that those who take their device off before bed won’t receive the most accurate results.
Typically, your resting heart rate is higher than your heart rate while you’re asleep, so don’t start panicking if you notice that the figure is higher than the lowest number you see in your graphs.
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What Things Affect Heart Rate
Other than exercise, things that can affect your heart rate include:
- Weather. Your pulse may go up a bit in higher temperatures and humidity levels.
- Standing up. It might spike for about 20 seconds after you first stand up from sitting.
- Emotions. Stress and anxiety can raise your heart rate. It may also go up when youâre very happy or sad.
- Body size. People who have severe obesity can have a slightly faster pulse.
- Medications. Beta-blockers slow your heart rate. Too much thyroid medicine can speed it up.
- Caffeine and nicotine. Coffee, tea, and soda raise your heart rate. So does tobacco.
Additional Considerations If You Have An Implantable Medical Device Such As A Pacemaker
A minimum separation of 15.24 cm should be maintained between a handheld/body worn wireless mobile device and an implantable medical device, such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator, to avoid potential interference with the device.
Persons who have such devices:
- Should ALWAYS keep the mobile device more than 15.24 cm from their implantable medical device when the mobile device is turned ON;
- Should not carry the mobile device in a breast pocket;
- Should use the ear opposite the implantable medical device to minimize the potential for interference;
- Should turn the mobile device OFF immediately if there is any reason to suspect that interference is taking place;
- Should read and follow the directions from the manufacturer of your implantable medical device. If you have any questions about using your wireless mobile device with an implantable medical device, consult your health care provider.
For more information see: www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/rf-faqs.html
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Maintaining A Normal Heart Rate
A healthy heartbeat is crucial for protecting cardiac health.
While exercise is important for promoting a low and healthy heart rate, there are several other steps a person can take to protect their heart health, including:
- Reducing stress: Stress can contribute to an increased heart rate and blood pressure. Ways to keep stress at bay include deep breathing, yoga, mindfulness training, and meditation.
- Avoiding tobacco: Smoking leads to a higher heart rate, and quitting can reduce it to a normal level.
- Losing weight: More body weight means that the heart has to work harder to provide all areas of the body with oxygen and nutrients.
How Do I Track Heart Rate With My Fitbit Device
Learn how Fitbit tracks your heart rate day and night, and see tips to get a more accurate reading.
When your heart beats, your capillaries expand and contract based on blood volume changes. To determine your heart rate, the optical heart-rate sensor in your Fitbit device flashes its green LEDs many times per second and uses light-sensitive photodiodes to detect these volume changes in the capillaries above your wrist. Then your device calculates how many times your heart beats per minute . The optical heart-rate sensor detects a range of 30-220 bpm.*
We use green LEDS because they maximize the signal detected from the capillaries near the surface of the skin. The optical heart-rate sensor also uses infrared light to determine when the device is on your wrist to improve the accuracy of your heart-rate data.
*This range applies during sleep; while youre awake, the range is 40-220 bpm. On Fitbit Versa 2, the range is 30-250 bpm.
Swipe up on your clock face to see your current heart rate and either your heart-rate zone or resting heart rate . To see heart rate details, tap ;or swipe .
If your device has an Exercise app, you can check your real-time heart rate and heart-rate zone during a workout. Note that your device doesn’t track your heart rate during swims.
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