Target Heart Rate
To train effectively you should aim to work in the
heart rate zone appropriate to your age as
stipulated below. Please note this is a guide and
your heart rate at rest and during training
is
determined by your fitness level and other
lifestyle factors as well as your age. If you reach
the recommended beats per minute below and
feel you’re over-exerting yourself, stop, rest and
when you feel recovered, return to exercise at a
lower intensity.
TRAINING ZONE
AGE
MIN-MAX (BPM)
20
133-167
25
132-166
30
130-164
35
129-162
40
127-161
45
125-159
50
124-156
55
122-155
60
121-153
65
119-151
70
118-150
75
117-147
80
115-146
85
114-144
Workout Tips
•
Always perform a warm-up and
stretching exercises before your
workout and a cool-down and
stretching
exercises at the end.
•
Start slowly and build up your time,
speed and intensity gradually; doing
too
much too soon can lead to
injuries.
•
If you are sore or tired, give yourself
a
few extra days to recover.
•
Start with two or three 15-minute
sessions per week with a rest day
between workouts.
•
Warm up for 5 to 10 minutes with
gentle
movements incorporating the
whole
body such as walking while
swinging
your arms in a circle and
then stretch the
muscles you’ll use
during your workout.
•
Increase the pace to slightly harder
than comfortable and exercise for as
long as you can. You may only be
able
to exercise for a few minutes at a
time,
but that will change quickly
when you
exercise regularly.
•
End each workout with a 5-minute cool-
down at a
lower intensity. You should
then stretch the
muscles you’ve just
worked to develop flexibility,
reduce
muscle soreness and prevent injury.
•
Increase your workout time by a few
minutes each
week until you can work
continuously for 30
minutes per session.
•
Don’t worry about distance or pace for
the first few
weeks, focus on endurance
and conditioning.
How To Begin
How Hard Should You Work?
When exercising, you should try to stay within your
target heart rate (THR) zone. The table on this page will
tell you the THR for your age. Always be aware of how
you feel when you exercise. If you feel dizzy or light-
headed, stop immediately and rest.
