Hard Enough?

How do we know if we are working hard enough?  Here are three ways to tell:

 

1.     The Talk Test.  This is the easiest one to use.  We want to be working hard enough that we can still talk to a friend in short bursts, but singing is out of the question.

2.     Rate of Perceived Exertion.  This is a fancy way of saying we need to check in with ourselves.  We want to aim for 70 to 85% of our maximum effort, or a 7 to 8.5 on a 10 point scale where 0 is lying on the couch and 10 is about to die.

3.     Heart Rate.  If we have a fitness tracker, it will let us know our heart rate.  Otherwise, we can count it ourselves at wrist or neck.  Then we need to do some math.  The basic equation to find our maximum heart rate is 220 minus our age.  Our working zone is 70 to 85% of that number.  So, if you are 53, like me, the math looks like this:

220-53=167

70% of 167 is 117, the low end of where I want my heart rate to be

85% of 167 142, the high end of where I want my heart rate to be

 

Please note:  everyone is different.  People who are just getting off the couch may not tolerate working out at 70% of their maximum heart rate at first.  The same goes for older people, people coming back from injury, and people whose doctors have advised them to go easy.  People who are super conditioned may want to do intervals that get their heart rate above 85%-- just be careful!  As always, we have to use good judgment.