Aerobic exercise heart rate

For ordinary people to perform health-oriented aerobic exercise, the most common effective heart rate reference interval is "(220-actual age) × 60%~80%", but this is only an entry-level benchmark reference and is by no means a gold standard for everyone. The specific value should be flexibly adjusted based on personal exercise foundation, physical condition, and exercise purpose.

In the past two months, I came across a typical example when leading a community running group for newbies: Xiao Zhou, a 32-year-old programmer, had hardly moved anywhere except to get takeout for three consecutive years. According to the formula, his aerobic heart rate range was 113~150 beats/min. Just after running 1 kilometer for the first time, his heart rate reached 122. He was out of breath and couldn't even speak a complete sentence. His face was as white as a wall. I quickly asked him to slow down and walk for 5 minutes before he recovered.

It’s no wonder that there is such a deviation. The traditional formula of 220 minus age was calculated from samples of professional athletes in the 1970s, and it did not take into account the differences in physical fitness of ordinary people. In recent years, academic circles have actually recommended using the reserve heart rate method to calculate, which is to first measure your resting heart rate (the number measured when you wake up in the morning and lie still), and then use "(maximum heart rate - resting heart rate) × intensity ratio + resting heart rate" to calculate the range. If you don't want to go to the extreme test, you can also use 207-0.7 × age to estimate the maximum heart rate, which is much more accurate than the old formula.

Of course, there are also those who don’t agree with “heart rate stuck” at all. Several old runners I know who have been running for more than ten years don’t wear heart rate monitors at all when jogging. They rely entirely on physical judgment: they can chat with people normally without gasping for breath while running, but they cannot sing a song continuously. For them, the intensity of this state is just the right aerobic range. On the contrary, it is much more comfortable than running while staring at the numbers on the watch, and the effect is not bad.

To be honest, don’t put too much faith in the heart rate of your smart watch. When I ran a half-marathon last winter, on a day of minus 3 degrees Celsius, the heart rate of a popular sports watch I wore jumped directly to 190. I was still complaining to my fellow runners that the wind was too strong. Later, I changed the chest strap and found that the actual heart rate was only 147. It was because the electrodes on my wrist were frozen and the measurement was inaccurate. At this time, the number on the watch was stuck, which easily disrupted my rhythm.

People with different needs can completely adjust the zone by themselves. For example, if you just want to exercise for health care, you usually sit a lot at work, or you can walk briskly, take a walk, or do a square dance after work. Even if your heart rate is only 50% of the maximum heart rate, it is completely useful. There is no such thing as "training without reaching the zone"； If you want to lose body fat and lose weight, you can try to stick to the 70% to 80% range. At this intensity, fat accounts for the highest proportion of energy. ； If you have underlying diseases such as high blood pressure or coronary heart disease, listen to your doctor and don’t believe the formulas on the Internet. Generally, doctors will ask you to control your exercise heart rate at 50% to 65% of your maximum heart rate. Safety is always more important than effect.

When I was preparing for a marathon, I even deliberately lowered my heart rate 5 to 10 times lower than the standard range during the aerobic peak period. It seemed like I was running slowly, but I didn’t feel tired even if I ran 15 kilometers continuously. Instead, I laid a solid cardiopulmonary foundation. If I focus on the upper limit as soon as I start, I will be too tired to move after two runs.

After all, the core of aerobic exercise is "continuity, comfort, and persistence." Heart rate is just a tool to help you find your rhythm, not a ruler to tie you. When you are out of breath when running, just slow down a little. If you feel it is too easy, increase the speed by two speeds. It is much more useful than fixating on those few numbers.