What is the safe heart rate when exercising?

Are you exercising at the right intensity? Using heart rate zones allows you to tailor your cardio to the best intensity to get the results you want. The article will provide more content about heart rate during exercise to ensure safety.

Cardio exercises rely on frequency, intensity and duration to be effective. You know how often and for how long to stay healthy, but you also need to know how fast or slow your heart rate is to help gauge the intensity of your workout.
MHR-based heart rate zones: If you know your maximum heart rate (MHR), you can use heart zone training to bring your workouts to the correct intensity.
Some are personalized which can be provided by testing by an athletic trainer or as a function of some more expensive heart rate monitors. You can use an age-based heart rate chart to see your maximum heart rate and also find a target heart rate based on a percentage of your maximum heart rate. Here is a general breakdown of heart rate zones:
Healthy heart rate zones: 50–60% MHR; Fitness heart rate zone: 60–70% MHR; Aerobic heart rate zone: 70–80% MHR; Anaerobic heart rate zone: 80–90% MHR; Red line: 90–100% MHR.

You can use heart rate zones when doing sports, which will bring you various health benefits. These 5 exercise zones are based on a percentage range of maximum heart rate. In each zone, you'll feel different levels of exertion, and your body will burn a different ratio of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
2.1 Healthy Heart Zone Healthy heart rate zone is 50-60% of your maximum heart rate. This is an easy and comfortable zone to exercise. It is considered the lower end of the medium intensity zone. You should be able to carry on a full conversation in this area, although you may be breathing a little heavier than usual.
Your training in this area is less intense and won't provide the most benefit to cardio. But studies have shown that it helps reduce body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol.
In the healthy heart rate zone, the body gets energy by burning 10% carbohydrates, 5% protein and 85% fat.
Pedestrians are usually in this area unless they force themselves to go faster. If you exercise in a higher heart rate zone, a healthy walk in this zone is a good way to enjoy an easy recovery day while remaining active.
2.2 Exercise heart rate zone The average exercise heart rate zone is between 60-70% of your maximum heart rate. This is the upper end of the moderate-intensity exercise zone. You'll breathe harder, but you'll still be able to speak in short sentences.
You burn more calories per minute than a healthy heart zone because the exercise is slightly more intense. You are going faster and therefore covering more distance. The amount of calories you burn depends on the distance you travel and your weight more than any other factor.
In the fitness heart rate zone, your body fuels itself with 85% fat, 5% protein and 10% carbohydrates.
You get the same health benefits and fat burning benefits as a healthy heart area. An example of a workout in this area is a brisk walking workout.

2.3 Aerobic Heart Rate Zone The aerobic heart rate zone is between 70–80% of your maximum heart rate. You are now in the high-intensity zone. You will have a hard time breathing and will only be able to speak in short phrases.
This is the area to aim for when doing endurance training. It prompts your body to improve circulation by building new blood vessels and increasing the capacity of your heart and lungs. Aiming for 20 to 60 minutes in this zone is believed to provide the best physical training benefits.
With an increase in intensity, you burn more calories in the same amount of time, because you are covering more distance in that same time. The amount of calories you burn depends most on your distance and weight. If you go further in the same amount of time, you will burn more calories per minute.
In the aerobic zone, you burn 50% of calories from fat, 50% from carbohydrates and less than 1% from protein.
You usually stay in this area by running or cycling, but you can get there by walking or brisk walking for aerobic walking workouts.
2.4. Anaerobic zone (threshold zone)
Anaerobic heart rate zone is 80–90% of your maximum heart rate. You won't be able to speak except one word gasp at a time.
This high-intensity exercise will improve the amount of oxygen you can consume — your VO2 max. This level of exertion brings you to the point where your body begins to produce lactic acid. Runners, cyclists and pedestrians use this area to increase their ability to go even faster.
In the anaerobic zone, the body burns 85% carbohydrates, 15% fat and less than 1% protein.
Exercises in this heart rate zone should be in the 10-20 minute range or part of interval training. You burn more calories per minute than during a lower heart rate workout, because you're covering more distance per minute.
2.5 Alarm Zone The top zone is between 90-100% of your max heart rate. You can't go any higher, and most people can't stay in this area for more than a few minutes. You won't be able to speak except gasp for single words.
This area should only be used for short bursts of interval training, where you work at a high intensity for one minute then drop to a lower intensity for a few minutes and repeat.
While you burn a lot of calories per minute in the red zone, 90% of them are carbohydrates, 10% fat and less than 1% protein.
You should consult your doctor to make sure you can safely exercise at such a high heart rate.

Which area should you train in? What is the gym heart rate? It's best to vary your training time by duration and intensity and wait for a recovery day between days of intense training in the aerobic, anaerobic, and redline zones.
A training program will typically feature shorter, more intense workouts 2-3 days per week, interspersed with a recovery/rest day. A longer day of training in the fitness or aerobic area is often used to build mileage toward a race such as a distance, half-marathon, or marathon.
You'll be able to get more out of your workout when you understand how your heart rate indicates the intensity of your workout. You'll know if you're achieving moderate or vigorous intensity and you can vary the types of workouts you like.

Reference sources: verywellfit.com, runnersworld.com