Cardiovascular exercises, including jogging, increase a person’s heart rate. The ideal heart rate for training depends on age, exercise level, current activity level, and medical conditions.
The heart rate is a good measure of how far a person pushes himself during exercise. A low heart rate during exercise can mean that a person can increase the intensity, while a too high heart rate can be dangerous. By keeping track of their heart rate during exercise, people may maximize their exercise goals or weight loss goals.
Ideal heart rate for running
A person’s ideal heart rate while running and other forms of exercise depend on their:
- age
- current activity level
- general condition
- medical condition
Measure heart rate zones by age
It is recommended that people aim to reach between 50% and 85% of their maximum heart rate during exercise, where jogging will typically be a heart rate of 50-60% of the maximum heart rate. The maximum heart rate is around 220 beats per minute (ppm) minus age according to the calculations. Therefore, a person of 20 years will have his maximum heart rate around 200 bpm (220 – 20 = 200 bpm).
On average, the following target heart rate is recommended during exercise:
| Age | Heart rate zone (beats per minute) |
| 20 | 100–170 |
| 30 | 95–162 |
| 35 | 93–157 |
| 40 | 90–153 |
| 45 | 88–149 |
| 50 | 85–145 |
| 55 | 83–140 |
| 60 | 80–136 |
| 65 | 78–132 |
| 70 | 75–128 |
When you start exercising, you should aim for the lower end of the target heart rate range (50-60% of maximum heart rate) and gradually build this up over time (up to 85%).
In comparison, an average resting heart rate is 60-100 beats per minute. In some cases, a lower resting heart rate is a measure of fitness.
With top athletes, resting heart rate can be as low as 40 beats per minute. Their muscles are in better condition, and the heart does not have to work so hard to pump blood around the body.
How does exercise affect heart rate?
When a person starts exercising regularly and getting fit, they will exercise within a higher heart rate zone. They train the heart and muscles to respond to repeated exertion. As mentioned, people can start with a goal of 50-60% of their maximum heart rate, equivalent to jogging, but only after regular exercise over time will they be able to train comfortably with 80-85% of maximum heart rate.
Participating in aerobics and endurance exercises also contributes to improved fitness, increased muscle tone, and improvements in physical and mental well-being in general.
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