A Heart rate monitor will allow you to see how hard you are working during your exercise routine.

This is crucial because:

A) You can actually be working too hard, making you want to stop.

B) A monitor will show you when you are in the right zone for the goals you want to achieve – to keep slow at the start especially.

There are a variety of monitors on the market at the moment; there is absolutely no need to spend a fortune on this. The basic ones are around the £45 mark.

It does not necessarily mean the more you spend the better you get – you will get more gadgets – but this can be confusing and interrupt your run.Some will tell you how far you have run and your pace – but this can all be done more cheaply with smartphone apps (I will come on to those in a later blog!

I have used a HR Monitor in almost every run / training session I have done in the last 20 years!

I have used a variety of brands – and I cannot pick one from the other – so go with your preferred ‘look’ or the settings available or your price bracket.

It is important that you have ‘Training Zones’ and an alert when you are out of these zones.

Otherwise all the other data is okay but not necessary – a calorie counter can be motivational. The key thing is to make sure you input all the correct data at the beginning; Weight, Height and Age. Make sure you check and alter these accordingly.


Resting Heart Rate or RHR

Your RHR will fluctuate throughout the day, so the best time to take it first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up. Try to get into the habit of taking your RHR almost every morning and recording it in your training diary.

An average RHR is about 70 beats per minute (bpm). As you get fitter this should start to come down. Any considerable, or prolonged changes, such as an elevated RHR could indicate illness, overtraining, overstimulation – caffeine or stress, or anticipation of exercise if just prior to a training session. Learn to listen to your heart.


Heart Rate Training

Your estimated Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax) is calculated with the following equation: 

220 - age = HRmax

e.g. So for a 48 -year-old HRmax = 220 - 48 = 172 beats per minute (bpm)

This means that at 172bpm things may be bit hard. Feeling out of breath and thinking about stopping!

At between 70 – 75% of HRmax you will be in your Aerobic Training Zone
Aerobic metabolism increases the use of fat during training because the oxygen required for this energy source helps break down fat. The use of oxygen also allows us to train for longer because it is in plentiful supply! Again helping our bodies to utilise fat stores.

At between 85 – 90% + (sometimes about 95%) of HRmax you will start to use Anaerobic energy sources
Anaerobic metabolism is ‘without oxygen’ this is when the body starts to use the glycogen that is stored in the muscle for energy. This is not plentiful and will run out quickly and is therefore not efficient in distance or endurance training, meaning that fat cannot be metabolized for long.


Calculate your Training Zones:

HRmax = 220 - _________ = ____________ HRmax

HRmax ________x 0.70 = _________(70%)

HRMax _________ x 0.75 = _______(75%)

Your AEROBIC threshold is between 70%_______ bpm and 75%_________bpm

HRmax _____x 0.85 = ______(85%)

HRMax ______ x 0.90 = ______(90%)

Your ANAEROBIC threshold is between 85%_______ bpm and 90%_________bpm

Please note that these figures are an ‘estimate’ and some people find that can train for a relatively long time in their upper range, but it is not something I would recommend for beginners. The HR training is a guide – it helps you understand how you are feeling in relation to how your body is performing.


These settings are based on beginner runners. If you are an experienced runner and you would like advice on anaerobic threshold training – interval / sprints / hills etc then please get in touch.

You can follow Barbara on twitter @50percentdiet or email her at babs@barbarashiells.com about any training issues you might have for the Yorkshire Marathon.