How long should you heart rate be in the cardio zone?

Hannah5147

Hi,

I've just started doing exercise videos at home on top of 10,000 steps a day. They are about 20/25 minutes long. This is the 1st time I've worked out in years. I have a fitbit and it monitors my heart rate . How long should I try and get my heart rate into the cardio zone?

Any help appreciated.

jjpptt2

It doesn't really matter. HR zones don't matter much for the vast majority of people. IMO, pace yourself such that you work out as hard as you can sustain for the duration of the workout.

Hannah5147

Seeing the heart rate graph helps me push to try my hardest. Thanks for your reply.

_mr_b

Looking at my last run, I spend most of my time in Zone 4. I don’t train using HR zones so it’s not been something I look into, I’d say the more time you spend pushing yourself the better.

Timshel_

HR zones give you general numbers you can use for various goals in cardio workouts based on max HR. The 50 to 70% is generally better for metabolizing fat. 70 to 80ish% is more into strength training and better for muscle function. the 90% works fast twitch, short duration muscles and is usually worked for improved VO2 max, as well as other benefits. Again, those are just general guidelines for working in the zones and you can fine tune to your needs.

ronocnikral

_mr_b wrote: »

Looking at my last run, I spend most of my time in Zone 4. I don’t train using HR zones so it’s not been something I look into, I’d say the more time you spend pushing yourself the better.

That's not necessarily true. It depends on the outcome one desires. For endurance, many people send much of their training not "pushing" themselves. For example, I spent 2 hours running this morning and I kept my HR at or below 125 for most of the workout (112 bpm average). I'll spend about 12 hours this week running.

It's not always, "no pain no gain." It's a dangerous and misleading mentality that you are suggesting.

Cherimoose

Hannah5147 wrote: »

Seeing the heart rate graph helps me push to try my hardest.

The machine doesn't know what you're capable of. For someone who hasn't worked out in years, i'd keep the workouts shorter and easier than your maximum for a while, and focus on developing the habit of working out, so you don't burn out or get injured. There's nothing wrong with doing only 10 minutes per workout the first week, 15 the second week, etc. It isn't a race.
The duration & intensity that you work up to ultimately depends on your particular fitness goals (which we don't know).

sijomial

These two quotes of yours are not good companions...

"This is the 1st time I've worked out in years."
"Seeing the heart rate graph helps me push to try my hardest."

Start slow and steady, build up progressively.

Pushing your hardest every time is a poor training plan for someone accustomed to exercise and already fit - for you it's really inappropriate.

GraemeAHill

Hi! "Time to train" is complicated. There are a ton of techniques for training ranging from high intensity sets to low impact cardio, all of which serve different goals and fitness levels. If you're back into it for the first time, you might be well advised to aim towards low impact while you acclimatize your muscles and joints to working more. There are two rules of exercise that trump everything else:

1) The best exercise is the one you do
2) Not getting injured is more important than making progress, even if your only goal is to make progress.

That second one is really relevant. Get hurt and you stop working out. Stop working out and your gains/habits go to hell fast. So be careful.

Anyway, to answer your question, while you are starting out you should be aiming for 20-30 min at your training heart rate. As you build endurance you will be able to move towards an hour. Be warned: standard heart rate charts are based on simple formula (220-age=Max HR, that sort of thing). They are good ballpark estimates, but might not be relevant to you. As a beginner, your target HR is probably about 50% of max HR. You can ratchet that up to 70% as you get stronger. However, I would not take your max HR from a chart, especially if you have a heart rate monitor!

Generally, max heart rate is best calculated by doing a warmup jog at a moderate pace for 10 minutes, followed by 5 sets of 1-minute-sprint-as-fast-as-you-possibly-can-1-minute-jogs. Whatever your max HR during that cycle is probably your "true" max.

Good luck!

Hannah5147

Thank you all for your informative replies.

I don't have time to go to the gym (I have 2 young children) so home workouts and walking are my only means of exercise.

I won't be looking at the graph so much or let it affect how I feel about my work out. I think it just helps me push myself and not be 'lazy' with my workouts. I think it's easy not to fill your full potential when your doing home workouts on your own. I have already noticed a slight improvement in my fitness since starting in early January so I feel pleased with that.

On another note after finishing a reply or post i always press the done button in the top right hand corner! This is the second time I've written this!

Azdak

Hannah5147 wrote: »

Thank you all for your informative replies.

I don't have time to go to the gym (I have 2 young children) so home workouts and walking are my only means of exercise.

I won't be looking at the graph so much or let it affect how I feel about my work out. I think it just helps me push myself and not be 'lazy' with my workouts. I think it's easy not to fill your full potential when your doing home workouts on your own. I have already noticed a slight improvement in my fitness since starting in early January so I feel pleased with that.

On another note after finishing a reply or post i always press the done button in the top right hand corner! This is the second time I've written this!

It’s OK to push yourself — you just have to do it in the proper proportion. It helps to have a rough “schedule” for the week where some days are longer and easier (can be boring I know), and on others, you include some harder (not all-out) intervals in the workout.