Exercise, Aerobic

 

"Aerobic" exercise¾the kind that improves your cardiovascular conditioning and is thought to promote longevity¾is any steady, moderately taxing activity that boosts your heart rate to between 60 percent and 85 percent of its maximum for at least 20 minutes at a stretch. Besides speeding your pulse, an aerobic workout will raise a sweat and increase your breathing rate.

 

A man's maximum heart rate is generally 220 minus his age, while a woman's is 226 minus her age. (Because a woman's heart is smaller, it must beat faster.) The following chart will help you find your "aerobic zone."

 

Male

Female

Age

Maximum Heart Rate

Aerobic Zone

Age

Maximum Heart Rate

Aerobic Zone

15

205

123 to 174

15

211

129 to 180

20

200

120 to 170

20

206

126 to 176

25

195

117 to 166

25

201

123 to 172

30

190

114 to 162

30

196

120 to 168

35

185

111 to 157

35

191

117 to 163

40

180

108 to 153

40

186

114 to 159

45

175

105 to 149

45

181

111 to 155

50

170

102 to 145

50

176

108 to 151

55

165

99 to 140

55

171

105 to 146

60

160

96 to 136

60

166

102 to 142

65

155

93 to 132

65

161

98 to 138

70

150

90 to 128

70

156

96 to 134

75

145

87 to 123

75

151

93 to 129

80

140

84 to 119

80

146

90 to 125

85

135

81 to 115

85

141

87 to 121

90

130

78 to 111

90

136

84 to 117

95

125

75 to 106

95

131

81 to 112

 

Which Exercises Are Aerobic?

 

There's only one sure way to tell if an activity is aerobic: perform the activity long enough to reach a steady heart rate, and take your pulse.

 

You can get an idea whether an activity is aerobic, however, by looking it up in the Exercise Dictionary. Read "To See if an Exercise Is Aerobic," in Exercise Dictionary.

 


 

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Last Modified: 6/30/07