Calculating heartrate levels for cardio exercise

Questions arise as to cardio training and its benefits to fat loss and circulatory functioning. I think the best advice is to go and purchase a heartrate monitor and see what your heartrate is during your cardio session. Basically, the equation used is 220-your age. This is the optimum heartrate at 100 percent of max. To achieve optimum benefit from cardio sessions one needs to aim to hit between 70-85% of this 220-age number. For example, if one is my age, 49 , the max. heartrate is 220-49=171 beats per minute. To achieve 70-85% during a cardio session, I would have to make sure my pulse remains between 119 and 145 beats per minute. This is called the training range. One needs to remain in this training range for at least 40 mins/3 sessions per week. This will ensure the best possible benefits from one's cardio workout. If one cannot attain this range one should work at a level that feels comfortable and work up to this range. The rule of thumb is to perform cardio exercises at a rate that one has some minor difficulty carrying on a conversation with another while performing cardio.

A heartrate monitor can keep you working at this level. The more sophisticated models can be set to alert you if you drop below the training range or go beyond the training range. They can also inform you of how many minutes you remained in the training range. They are a good investment.