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| Strapless Heart Rate Monitor |
Most of us stay away from doing regular exercises because it
is too time-consuming. According to the normal
exercise routine, you gain the most benefits when you exercise at 60 percent to 80 percent of your maximum heart
rate. (See below for more details) Until
now, doctors and health specialists advised us not to exercise above 85 percent
of our maximum heart rate because it increased both cardiovascular and
orthopaedic risk and did not add any extra benefit. This meant a daily exercise
routine of about 30-40 minutes for any real benefits to show up.
But a study from McMaster
University suggests you
can use high intensity interval training in place of regular exercise and
get the same benefits in just about 20 minutes. Study subjects
who spent just 20 minutes mixing running sprints with jogging lost three times
the fat off their legs and butt in 15 weeks, compared to those who jogged
steadily for 40 minutes.
High Intensity Interval Training is great news for all of us
who have busy lives and cannot spare the required 30-40 minutes. If you do
right, you will be able to save time, remain fit and also be able to increase
your productivity.
How to Do High Intensity Interval Training?
In simple terms, interval training
means:
Push yourself almost as hard as you can for a little while, then pull back and
rest for a little while, and then repeat. For example, if you're
jogging, you push yourself near you maximum for one minute, then turn down and
lightly jog for another minute. High intensity means that you increase your
heart rate/pulse rate to 90% of your total capacity. But, in order to prevent cardiovascular
and orthopaedic risk, you take a one minute break after every one minute of such
high intensity workout. Sustaining HIIT for 20 minutes, which in
actuality is only 10 minutes of intense exercises with one minute intervals is
enough to keep us fit in the long run.
You can apply interval training to
nearly any workout activity. Alternating between running and jogging (or
jogging and walking) is the easiest, most cost efficient way to start interval
training. You can practise this with alternating fast and slow cycling,
swimming or just running around in circles in your office itself.
How To Measure Your Pulse Rate Correctly?
Your pulse is your heart rate, or the number of times your
heart beats in one minute. Pulse rates vary from person to person. Your pulse
is lower when you are at rest and increases when you exercise (because more
oxygen-rich blood is needed by the body when you exercise).
Knowing how to take your pulse can help you evaluate your
exercise program.
How to take your
pulse
1. Place the tips of your index, second, and third fingers
on the palm side of your other wrist, below the base of the thumb as shown.
2. Press lightly with your fingers until you feel the blood
pulsing beneath your fingers. You might need to move your fingers around
slightly up or down until you feel the pulsing.
3. Use a watch with a second hand, or look at a clock with a
second hand.
4. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds. Multiply this
number by six to get your heart rate (pulse) per minute.
Check your pulse: _______________ x 6 = ________________
(beats in 10 seconds)
(your pulse)
What is your maximum
heart rate and your HIIT target?
The maximum heart rate is the highest your pulse rate can
get. To calculate your predicted maximum heart rate, use this formula:
220 - Your Age =
Predicted Maximum Heart Rate
Example: a
40-year-old's predicted maximum heart rate is 180.
Age
|
Target Heart
Rate for HIIT (90% 0f Maximum)
|
Predicted
Maximum Heart Rate
|
20
|
180
|
200
|
25
|
176
|
195
|
30
|
171
|
190
|
35
|
167
|
185
|
40
|
162
|
180
|
45
|
158
|
175
|
50
|
153
|
170
|
55
|
149
|
165
|
60
|
144
|
160
|
65
|
140
|
155
|
70
|
136
|
150
|
Note down your
predicted maximum heart rate and your HIIT heart rate based on the chart. (It
need not be exactly accurate)
As with any exercise, be careful. If you suffer from any
heart conditions talk with your doctor before you start.
Do let me know how well it goes.
Best of
Luck!
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