Middle school students need to know how to calculate their maximum heart rate in order to determine what level they should be exercising at to achieve maximum physiological and cardiovascular benefits. Once they determine their maximum heart rate, they can then figure their target heart rate. Target heart rate is the rate at which one wants their heart working during exercise.
220
- age
---------
n (max heart rate)
.6 *n = target heart rate for exercise
For example, we will take a 14 year old middle school student and calculate target heart rate.
220
- 14 (age)
---------
206 maximum heart rate
.6(206) = 123.6 or 124 beats per minute is ideal while exercising which is also known as target heart rate