Target Heart Rate

I'm 35 years old, 6ft 1inch tall, 220 lbs.

I'm trying to find my target heart rate. I've read on the walking website that the best rate for me would be 60-70% of my maximum heart rate.

My resting heart rate is 80 beats per minute.

They say to take 220 minus your age. Okay, I can do that. That would be 185. So my maximum heart rate is 185?

In the Fitness Zone, that would mean that I would have to keep my heart rate at 111 to 130 beats per minute while working out. They say that the percent of fat calories in this level would be 85%.

Here's the problem...I've been doing all sorts of workouts for the past five months now. I really get going - biking, hiking, dancing, aerobics, you name it. But then I check my heart rate, and it's way up at 27 beats in ten seconds.

That's where I get confused. 10 seconds...there are six of those in one minute. So 27 times 6 is 162--am I right? I always flunked math, so forgive me...(but I got As in English, he he he!)

Does this mean that I should slow down to stay in the Fitness Zone during my workout?

I just recently started worrying about heart rate, after losing 43 pounds.

Are those heart monitor watches worth it? Is there a watch out there that is inexpensive and doesn't require you to strap something around your chest? I have problems with things touching my chest.

Thanks for any help you can give me.
 
Coach Dan: Hey, thank you for the quick and informative reply. You've answered every question that I had.

I just went shopping online for a heart rate monitor, and I was actually looking at Polar before I came back and read your reply. One that I thought was a bit strange was the heart rate monitor bike seat! Who wudda thunk it?

My only cringe is this: Do they make a heart rate monitor that doesn't look like it came in a Happy Meal box? I mean, they're all so ugly...

Anyways, that's what I'll do. Get a heart rate monitor. Thanks for the feedback.

Duran
 
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