How to Calculate Fat Burning Zone

The concept of a fat-burning zone is a myth. Your body takes energy from fat and carbohydrates in different percentages. When at rest, your body takes all of its energy from fat, so your fat-burning zone would be when you're vegged out in your reclining chair. The true fat-burning zone, however, is really your target heart rate zone, which is a range of beats per minute that burns an optimal number of calories for fat loss without overtaxing your body. Exercise in this zone three to five days a week for 20 to 60 minutes to see a reduction in body fat.

According to experts, low intensity workouts can promote fat loss; you just need to do it frequently and for a long period of time. Also, you need to allow your body to recover, achieve optimal health, and promote weight loss by alternating low intensity and high intensity workouts for the body’s health. When you are a sprinter, you use your muscles up to their limits and to such a powerful extent. Your body will respond by growing bigger and stronger, while an average thread mill walker has skinny arms and gut. For most people who are trying to achieve stronger and bigger muscles, a combination of fat burning zone is the key. Let us then learn how to calculate the fat burning zone.

1. Subtract your age from 220, if you are a man. Guidelines put out in 2010 encourage women to do a slightly different calculation; first multiply your age by 0.88, and then subtract that number from 206. This is your maximum heart rate.

2. Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.5. Considered as a "low intensity" heart rate, this figure will represent the low end of your fat-burning zone. In other words, you don't want your heart to beat any slower than this number in order to reap fat-burning benefits. Since both the time spent and the intensity of the exercise contribute to fat burning.

3. Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.7. This is your "moderate intensity" zone, which is ideal for fat burning. As you get in better shape, you can aim for this heart rate and still get the benefits of burning fat.

4. Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.85. you should not go above this rate when exercising, though staying within the safe bounds of the high-intensity zone will help you burn the most calories, and thus burn the most fat. Working out at your maximum heart rate is difficult to do for a long period of time, as that level of exertion can quickly lead to exhaustion.

5. Take your pulse, now that you know what heart rate you are aiming for. In the middle of your workout, stop and place your index and middle fingers under your chin, just to the left or right of your windpipe. Count the number of beats for 15 seconds, and then multiply that number by 4 to get your current heart rate. Compare that to the low, medium and high-intensity zones you calculated to determine whether you're staying in the fat-burning zone. If you are not, speed up or slow down your workout, and then take your pulse again.

Combine your workout with low intensity exercise with high intensity workouts to get the most benefit from exercise. This can improve cardiovascular health, burning fat, improving flexibility, toning, and conditioning the body. Always look for the guidance and advice of a qualified doctor before embarking on a new diet or weight loss plan. You just need to determine the right fat burning zone or target heart rates.