Walking is a great exercise, especially if you do it consistently. But for many, it can become confusing to understand precisely what it means for your heart rate and walking.
When walking or exercising, the critical thing to understand is your target heart rate zone and your average maximum heart rate zone for your age group. By checking your heart rate, you will see how efficiently your heart is working compared to others in your same age group and category.
About Your Target Heart Rate And Walking
Measuring your heart rate is one way to determine if you’re walking fast enough to get the maximum health benefits. For most adults, the safe target heart rate is 50 to 80% of your maximum heart rate, but all of these numbers can sometimes be confusing.
When you exercise, many people want to know when it is too much and how you know when it’s too much. To understand this, you need to understand what your resting heart rate is and what your average maximum heart rate should be.
What Is A Heart Rate?
A heart rate is a term to measure how fast your heart is beating. It is measured by how many beats per minute your heart is beating.
If you listened to your heart and set a timer for a minute and counted how many times in a minute you heard your heartbeat, that would be your heart rate. Listening to your heart rate is a common thing that doctors will do when you visit them for a check-up or appointment.
What Should Be Your Heart Rate When Walking?
Walking or exercising, your heart rate can differ according to your fitness level. The American Heart Association has come up with what they call a target heart rate zone for when you exercise.
Generally speaking, your heart rate should be 50 to 85% of your maximum heart rate zone when exercising. The heart rate zone will change according to your age.
The younger you are, the higher the number will be; the older you are, the lower the number will be. So as you age, your heart rate zone or your target heart rate zone will change according to your age.
Below Is the average heart rate. Zones that are listed by age. You should talk to your doctor to know if this is your heart rate zone; this can change for some people with certain medical conditions.
Heart Rate Zone Numbers By Age
The chart below shows the average heart rate zone that you should have while exercising or walking and your average maximum heart rate zone.
The chart below shows the average heart rate zone that you should have while exercising or walking and your average maximum heart rate zone. The numbers used are BMP which means beats per minute or your heartbeat per minute.
| Age in Years | Target Heart Rate Zone (50 – 80%) BPM | Maximum Heart Rate Zone, (100%) BPM |
| 20 | 100 – 170 bpm | 200 bpm |
| 30 | 95 – 162 bpm | 190 bpm |
| 35 | 93 – 157 bpm | 185 bpm |
| 40 | 90 – 153 bpm | 180 bpm |
| 45 | 88 – 149 bpm | 175 bpm |
| 50 | 85 – 145 bpm | 170 bpm |
| 55 | 83 – 140 bpm | 165 bpm |
| 60 | 80 – 136 bpm | 160 bpm |
| 65 | 78 – 132 bpm | 155 bpm |
| 70 | 75 – 128 bpm | 150 bpm |
What do you look at the chart, it may be a bit confusing, but actually, it is not. For example, if you are walking at a brisk pace and you’re 40 years old, then your heart rate while you’re walking or exercising should be between 90 to 153 BPM heart beats per minute.
If you are 63 years old, your heart rate should be between 80 to 135 bpm or beats per minute when you are out walking—the average heart rate changes as you age.
It does not mean your fitness level changes but just your average heart rate or what your maximum heart rate should be.
Most Smart Watches Can Help You Know Your Heart Rate
Today almost all smartwatches can help you know your heart rate while exercising. You no longer need to stop and count your heart rate; the smart device will automatically tell you your heart rate.
For example, I have an Apple Watch. When I am exercising, I turn on my Apple Watch to help me see the distance I have gone.
This morning when I was out walking, I had my Apple Watch on, and I saw that the Apple Watch was telling me my heart rate while walking, which was 120 BPM. For my age group, that is right where it should be when I am exercising.
If you do not have a smart device and are serious about checking your heart rate and exercise, we suggest you get one. It is one of the easiest ways to help you track your maximum heart rate so you can see how efficiently your heart works while exercising.
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