Supposedly, a good figure for a person’s maximum heart rate equals 220 – the person’s age.
| age | Max rate |
| 30 | 190 |
| 40 | 180 |
| 50 | 170 |
| 60 | 160 |
| 70 | 150 |
It is often stated that a good training effort is between 75% and 85% of the max rate.
I didn’t care much about these figures and still don’t. I just try to run or jog comfortably but with effort for three miles three days a week and walk the same distance at a fairly good pace on the other days.
My doctor knows I do this and says it is good for me. About a year ago, he said he wondered what heart rate I was achieving with my exercise. He is a runner and so is his wife. They run marathons and half-marathons. I have no interest in such runs. I am confident I would develop some difficulty or injury and I am too lazy and impatient to commit to the program or the time.
I like the man and he did get me wondering. I wore it a couple of times, trying not to be influenced by it. About the same time, I read “Spark” by John Ratey, MD. The book emphasized the value of good levels of exercise to lessen emotional difficulties in adults and children. In “Spark”, Ratey writes of the Naperville, IL schools exercise program. He reports the gym teacher found that the two girls that looked sluggish were actually getting high rates of effort measured by the heart rate monitors.
Quite a few years ago when I was younger and more rigorous, a friend said he didn’t see how anyone could tell I was running since I was so slow. Six months ago, I ran in a 5K or 3 mile run. I was one of the very last people to finish, even behind young mothers pushing their children in carts! Still, thanks to the monitor from Amazon.com for $65, I know I am working quite hard, even if I look like a turtle. I bought one for Lynn, too. She has been working out in an aerobics class at the Y. She too knows she is getting a good workout regardless of the comparison with others.
