Calculating your exercise heart rate the right way--if you're female, you may be exercising too hard!

inCYSTer Christine Marquette tweeted this interesting press release from Northwestern University, describing a study in which the formula for calculating exercise heart rate for women has been adjusted.  It's an important study, because the target rate using this formula is lower than the traditional formula lumping men and women together.  If you've been aiming for that higher number, you've likely been overshooting your exercise intensity...and that keeps you from burning fat.  It may also exacerbate carbohydrate cravings, since exercise above your target zone burns primarily carbohydrates.  If you have PCOS, excessively intense exercising can provoke bulking up, which is more likely when you're going at it harder than you need to.

I went ahead and calculated the old versus new numbers at 80% of your age-based maximum heart rate, for all ages between 18 and 70, they're below for your reference.


Age                                                            Old Formula                                        New Formula
18                                                                  162                                                        134
19                                                                  161                                                        133
20                                                                  160                                                        132
21                                                                  159                                                        132
22                                                                  158                                                        131
23                                                                  157                                                        130
24                                                                  157                                                        130
25                                                                  156                                                        129
26                                                                  155                                                        128
27                                                                  154                                                        127
28                                                                  154                                                        127
29                                                                  153                                                        126
30                                                                  152                                                        125
31                                                                  151                                                        125
32                                                                  150                                                        124
33                                                                  150                                                        123
34                                                                  149                                                        122
35                                                                  148                                                        122
36                                                                  147                                                        121
37                                                                  146                                                        120
38                                                                  146                                                        120
39                                                                  145                                                        119
40                                                                  144                                                        118
41                                                                  143                                                        118
42                                                                  142                                                        117
43                                                                  142                                                        116
44                                                                  141                                                        115
45                                                                  140                                                        115
46                                                                  139                                                        114
47                                                                  138                                                        113
48                                                                  138                                                        113
49                                                                  137                                                        112
50                                                                  136                                                        111
51                                                                  135                                                        111
52                                                                  134                                                        110
53                                                                  134                                                        109
54                                                                  133                                                        108
55                                                                  132                                                        108
56                                                                  131                                                        107
57                                                                  130                                                        106
58                                                                  129                                                        106
59                                                                  129                                                        105
60                                                                  128                                                        104
61                                                                  127                                                        103
62                                                                  126                                                        103
63                                                                  126                                                        102
64                                                                  125                                                        101
65                                                                  124                                                        101
66                                                                  123                                                        100
67                                                                  122                                                          99
68                                                                  122                                                          99
69                                                                  121                                                          98
70                                                                  120                                                          97