Is your HEART really in it?

Do you know what your ideal heart rate is? Are you reaching and holding that heart rate through out your workout? Why does your heart rate even matter if you are just weight training?

These are some of the questions I had when my old health coach first suggested I get a heart rate monitor.

First of all, your heart is also a muscle and like all muscles it needs to be used and properly, to be healthy. Knowing what your heart rate should be during a workout is where you should start. How on earth do I do that was my thought! It's pretty simple actually. You just take your age and subtract that from 220, that gives you your max heart rate. To be in your target heart rate, it should be between 55-85% of that number.

Now that you know your number, what should you do about it? You should be trying to reach this number when you workout and hold it there for roughly 30-40 minutes. I'm not saying that if you don't reach that number every time that it is a wasted workout because just being active some days is good but to really get into the fat burning zone your heart has got to be in it.

What are some things you can do to get your heart rate up?

Hiking
If you like to walk but not yet ready to get out there and go for a run, then you can go for a hike. That is a good way to elevate your heart rate for a longer period.

Biking
Indoor or out, going the distance on a bike is a good way to get your heart rate up, especially if you find a hilly path and you put your speed up.

HIIT
High intensity interval training is a quick way to get your heart rate elevated and keep it up. Not all trainers will recommend HIIT to people that are new to physical fitness because it is all about going all out. Example- running for a minute and sprinting for 30 seconds, for roughly 20-30 minutes but no longer.

Weight training
Not a lot of people think lifting weights when it comes to raising your heart rate but it is a great way. You can do high reps with low weight or low reps with high weight and you will be getting the oxygen flowing. If you keep at steady pace with little rest in between you will raise your heart rate while working your muscles. 

What ever it is you enjoy doing just get out there and do it. Eventually you will get the whole heart rate thing under control.


*What's your favorite way to get your heart rate up?