| Age | Fat-burning heart rate (beats per minute) |
| 20 years | 100–170 bpm |
| 30 years | 95–162 bpm |
| 40 years | 90–153 bpm |
| 50 years | 85–145 bpm |
| 60 years | 80–136 bpm |
| 70 years | 75–128 bpm |
Table of Contents
Monitoring Heart Rate During Workouts
Many treadmills, elliptical machines, and other cardio equipment have special sensors that you can use to see your heart rate.
Other wearable devices, like heart rate monitors and smart watches, can give information on heart rate without requiring you to alter your posture during exercise.
Exercises for Fat Burning
Energy sources for exercise vary based on the intensity of the activity. At lower levels of activity, the proportion of energy derived from fat is higher. At vigorous levels of activity, more energy is derived from carbohydrate breakdown.
The best exercise program is one that you find enjoyable and keeps you engaged. A mix of cardio and strength training is ideal for cardiovascular fitness.
The following exercises can help burn fat and calories:
- Jogging
- Cycling
- Dance
- Golf
- Tennis
Recommended Exercise
The AHA recommends getting at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, but adding any amount of physical activity to a sedentary lifestyle is beneficial.
Effectiveness of Targeting Fat-Burning Heart Rate
While a fat-burning heart rate sounds like an appealing way to lose weight, it's not the only consideration. You can think of weight loss in simple terms of total caloric intake minus calories burned.
Caloric intake depends mainly on the consumption of macronutrients, like fat, carbohydrates, protein, and more. These contain variable amounts of calories per gram, ranging from 4–9 calories/gram.
Fiber also plays a role in caloric intake, since insoluble fiber is not absorbed.
Furthermore, studies have taken into consideration the role of the "gut microbiome" (the microorganisms, including bacteria and viruses, in the gastrointestinal tract) in weight loss and metabolism, as well as the number of health conditions a person has.
Energy Expenditure
The amount of calories burned in a day is known as energy expenditure. Your body requires a significant amount of energy, even while resting, for basic processes like heartbeats and breathing to take place. This is known as the resting metabolic rate. Any exertion beyond that burns more calories, which are obtained from a breakdown of carbohydrates and fat.
Any form of exercise will require energy and will, therefore, burn calories. In a low-intensity cardio exercise, like walking, the proportion of fat used for energy may be higher, but it will take much longer to burn as many calories compared to a vigorous 20-minute run.
Summary
Though it can be mistaken for a weight loss metric, fat-burning heart rate is based on the idea that at certain levels of physical activity, energy is burned from fat. The amount of energy is dictated by the level of intensity of a workout. Fat-burning heart rate for moderate-intensity exercise is calculated based on your age and maximum heart rate.
A Word From Verywell
Too often society equates being healthy with being thin. In reality, fitness comes in all shapes and sizes. Regardless of body weight, cardiovascular fitness is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Rather than focusing on a heart rate zone on a treadmill, being active in ways that you enjoy—like walking, swimming, and taking dance classes—can make fitness something you look forward to.
