How many beats per minute is normal for aerobic exercise

For the vast majority of healthy adults, it is normal and safe for the heart rate to remain within the range of 60% to 80% of the maximum heart rate during aerobic exercise. According to the most commonly used "220-age" formula, a 30-year-old person's exercise heart rate is about 114-152 beats/minute, and a 50-year-old person's exercise heart rate is about 102-136 beats/minute. Don't be too picky about the value. A fluctuation of 5 times is considered a normal range.

However, this general formula is not a golden rule. There have always been different opinions in the sports circle. After all, individual differences are too great - a person who runs marathons all year round may have a resting heart rate in his early 40s, while a 20-year-old fat guy who does not exercise can reach 120 even if he walks a little faster. At the same age, It is not uncommon for people's maximum heart rate to differ by 20%. Nowadays, many exercise physiologists recommend using "207-0.7×age" to calculate the maximum heart rate. The error will be smaller. If you have the conditions, go to a professional institution to do a cardiopulmonary exercise test. The measured maximum heart rate you get is the most suitable ruler for you.

A while ago, I took my best friend who was new to fitness to exercise on the elliptical machine. She stepped on it hard, and within three minutes her heart rate soared to 172. She was so breathless that she squatted on the ground to slow down. Based on her age of 28, the normal aerobic range is only about 153. After that, it is not effective. Aerobic exercise also puts an extra burden on the heart. In fact, the heart rate is like the engine speed of a car. It is most comfortable to keep it in the economic speed range when driving normally. You have to pull to the red zone and pedal hard again and again, which not only wastes fuel but also damages the engine. It is okay to rush once in a while, but exercising beyond the range for a long time can be too harmful to the body.

If you are just starting to exercise, you don’t have to stick to the 60% line. Even if your heart rate is only 50% of the maximum heart rate, as long as you move and don’t feel chest tightness and dizziness, it will still be effective. When my mother first started to dance square dance last year, her heart rate was only over 90 after half an hour of slow dancing.

Of course, the above are the standards for healthy people. If you have basic diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease, it is best to ask a doctor to do an exercise tolerance test first and set a unique safe heart rate threshold. Don’t blindly follow the online fitness classes. I have seen a brother with hidden heart disease hit a heart rate of 160 while doing aerobics and almost had an accident. Don’t gamble with your body.