Your goal is to work your way up to an exercise level that feels somewhat hard and increases your breathing and heart rate. Your activities should not make you breathe so hard that you can’t talk to someone else; if they interfere with normal conversation, then you are likely working yourself harder than necessary. These exercises also should not cause dizziness, chest pain, or excessive joint discomfort.
You can monitor the intensity of your training by your pulse (heart rate) during any activity. Measure the beats on your wrist by lightly pressing the tips of your index and middle fingers where you can feel your pulse. Count the number of pulsations you feel for a ten-second period and then multiply this number by 6 to estimate beats per minute. It is normal for your maximal pulse rate to decrease with each passing year after the age of twenty. Your expected maximal heart rate can be estimated as 208 minus 70 percent of your age. For example, if you’re fifty, then your expected maximal would be 208 minus 35, or 173 beats per min- ute. (Note: if you are taking a beta-blocker, your heart rate at any workout intensity will likely be lower than expected.)
