Scientific heart rate monitoring improves the efficiency and safety of weight loss exercises.

Heart rate is a physiological indicator that can accurately reflect the intensity of exercise. Heart rate is directly proportional to total oxygen consumption, which is an indicator of physical activity load. Therefore, by measuring heart rate, we can understand the degree of cardiac load and thus the magnitude of exercise load. Experimental studies have found that if the heart rate during exercise is below 135 beats per minute, it cannot improve cardiac function; however, if the heart rate is around 150 beats per minute, cardiac function will significantly improve after more than four weeks of training. For a healthy young adult and an obese person approaching middle age, they should participate in slightly higher-intensity exercise, based on their physical condition and previous exercise experience, to significantly increase their heart rate and achieve better weight loss results. Exercising with too low an intensity will result in poor weight loss and may even lead to weight gain. This is because in low-intensity exercise, the body only uses carbohydrates for energy consumption and does not utilize fat. Furthermore, insufficient exercise can stimulate and enhance gastrointestinal function, increasing appetite and leading to the consequence of increased obesity with increased exercise. However, for the elderly or obese individuals with coronary heart disease, unilaterally emphasizing increased exercise is inappropriate, as it may increase the burden on the heart and exacerbate the disease. For such patients, an effective and safe exercise level can be found based on individual physical conditions.

So how do we determine the amount of exercise based on heart rate? The specific method for determining the amount of exercise based on heart rate is as follows: It is determined by the percentage of the highest heart rate after exercise. Generally, 180 beats per minute is used as the standard highest heart rate for healthy obese individuals when starting to exercise, and the exercise amount is determined based on the percentage of the standard highest heart rate reached after exercise. Exercise amounts are divided into three categories: large, medium, and small:

(1) Large exercise amount: equivalent to more than 80% of the standard highest heart rate (180 beats/min), i.e., more than 144 beats/min. (2) Moderate exercise intensity: Equivalent to 70% of the standard maximum heart rate, approximately 126 beats/min.

(3) Low exercise intensity: Less than 60% of the standard maximum heart rate, approximately 108 beats/min.

Based on the above classification, a heart rate exceeding 144 beats/min after exercise is considered high-intensity exercise, while a heart rate below 108 beats/min is unlikely to achieve the desired training effect.

Furthermore, the time it takes for the heart rate to return to resting level after stopping exercise is also an indicator of exercise intensity. Generally, high-intensity exercise takes about 30 minutes, moderate-intensity exercise about 13 minutes, and low-intensity exercise about 10 minutes. The speed of heart rate recovery after stopping exercise is also an indicator of whether the exercise intensity is appropriate. The shorter the heart rate recovery time, the better the cardiac compensation function, and the more appropriate the exercise intensity.

Some people are often impatient for quick results and desperately increase their exercise intensity, believing that the greater the exercise intensity, the better the weight loss effect. This is actually an incorrect statement. If our goal in exercising is weight loss, then strenuous exercise (anaerobic exercise) is not very effective. Exercise aimed at weight loss should be of a certain intensity, duration, and endurance (aerobic exercise), because only aerobic exercise burns fat, while anaerobic exercise does not, and therefore cannot achieve the goal of weight loss.

In our daily lives, we often see that a large proportion of people who lead sedentary lives while engaging in moderate exercise, such as painters, writers, and scholars, live to the age of 80-90. This suggests that extending lifespan does not depend on excessive, strenuous exercise, but on moderate, controlled exercise combined with rest. Only in this way can we achieve good health. The same principle applies to exercise for weight loss. If the amount of exercise is too small, it will not burn excess calories and will not achieve the goal of weight loss; if the amount of exercise is too large, exceeding the body's capacity, it will cause excessive fatigue, adverse reactions, and affect health. After deciding to lose weight through exercise, obese patients must consider the following aspects:

(1) Choose an exercise program suitable for their physical condition. Those with strong physiques and good health can choose exercises with higher intensity; those with weak physiques and poor physical condition can choose exercises with relatively lower intensity.

(2) Adapt to individual circumstances and avoid rigid forms. Choose exercises that you are interested in and can stick to, such as cycling, long-distance running, jogging, and swimming.

(3) Adapt to local conditions and exercise at appropriate times. If you live in a high-rise building in the city, you can climb stairs every day; if you live in the suburbs, you can run; if you live in the mountains, you can climb mountains every day; if you live near the sea, you can swim.

It is important to note that those trying to lose weight should not be impatient for quick results. First, based on their health condition and interests, they should choose a suitable exercise method, scientifically and rationally formulate an exercise plan and intensity, proceed gradually, persevere, and not easily give up exercising. If you can achieve self-control during exercise, then you're not far from successfully losing weight.