“I have recently bought a heart rate monitor chest strap to wear at the gym as they are encouraging us to stay in certain parameters of our ‘max HR’ for certain durations during our workouts. My question, they calculate our max HR by using 220bpm and taking away our age, so max HR for a 40 year old would be 180bpm. Is this a safe and correct assumption or should I be seeking medical advice? I have never had heart issues but want to ensure I do things properly and don’t take heart rate advice from a non-doctor!”
Answered by Prof Jonathan Lyne on image.ie – read article