Target Zone Exercise

Polar USA

Target Zone Exercise The most effective way to reach your fitness goal is to exercise in your target heart rate zone. There is a target zone that's right for each day's workout. For example, if you want to improve aerobic fitness you need to be working at 70-80% of your maxHR, for 40-60 minutes per day, 3 to 4 times per week. Without this information, you would get on a treadmill and not know how hard or how long you should be exercising. In most cases you may be going too easy or too hard. There are 3 key target zones that help you achieve specific goals. 60-70% Lose Weight or Recover 70-80% Improve Aerobic Fitness 80+ % Increase Athletic Performance To calculate your 3 key target zones, we use a formula that factors in your morning resting heart rate (MRHR). This will help personalize the numbers not only for your age, but also your fitness level. Morning Resting Heart Rate (MRHR) Use your Polar heart rate monitor to take your heart rate for three mornings in a row before getting up from bed. Take the average of those numbers: Morning 1# + Morning 2# + Morning 3# = (X) (X) Divided by 3 = Morning Resting HR (MRHR)

Your Age: MRHR:

Improving Overall Fitness: For first time exercisers, have your physician perform a stress test to determine your maxHR along with your target zones specific to your goal. This is especially important if you are just starting an exercise program or have not exercised for a prolonged period of time. If you have reached a plateau, you should begin to alter the frequency, intensity and duration of your workouts. The body is smart and adapts to routine. If you follow the same program, and have done so for a while, you may have stopped seeing results. Variety is the key. Focus on different workouts, at different target zones, on different days while adjusting your workout time. For Example: Have a recovery day where you go longer at an easier pace than you usually do (60-70% maxHR) While doing your normal (70-80% maxHR) exercises be creative. Monday use the treadmill, Wednesday take a cardio kickboxing class, Friday play a game of tennis. A range of different exercises will not only help you mix up your workouts, but it will also keep motivated and challenged. Do an interval workout where you pick up your speed (at or above 80% of maxHR) for one minute, slow down for three minutes (65% maxHR) and repeat again for 30 - 60 minutes. You can incorporate this into most cardio activities. This is a fun way to add variety to your exercise while burning more calories. These are the kinds of workouts that will help you improve and reach your fitness goals. Whether you're in good cardio shape, or you've reached a plateau and can't seem to lose any more weight, alter the intensity, time and frequency of your exercises. Now that you have a heart rate monitor and you know your target zones, you can use any activity to get an effective workout. Just let your Polar monitor guide you.