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Intensity Minutes vs AHA HR for Moderate Intensity

Denise
over 5 years ago

So the Garmin support page for Intensity Minutes states:  "150 minutes is the minimum goal set for weekly Intensity Minutes credit which represents how many minutes of moderate exercise that is recommended by health organizations such as the American Heart Association."

The American Heart Association states:   The American Heart Association generally recommends a target heart rate of: Moderate exercise intensity: 50% to about 70% of your maximum heart rate. Vigorous exercise intensity: 70% to about 85% of your maximum heart rate.


So why is it that when I exercise for 45 minutes at about 65% HR, do I get zero Intensity Minutes? It seems to me that Garmin's calculator for IM is off? 

Which HR zone for Garmin is Moderate? Zone 3? If I change it to custom HR and make zone 3 be 50-70, does that mean it will start calculating IM when I exercise at this level? Or is it zone 4? Or is Zone 4 vigorous? 

Garmin's HR Zone page:

  • Zone 1 (Warm Up)
    • Perceived exertion: Relaxed, easy pace, rhythmic breathing. Benefits: Beginning-level aerobic training, reduces stress.

  • Zone 2 (Easy)
    • Perceived exertion: Comfortable pace, slightly deeper breathing, conversation possible. Benefits: Basic cardiovascular training, good recovery pace.

  • Zone 3 (Aerobic)
    • Perceived exertion: Moderate pace, more difficult to hold conversation. Benefits: Improved aerobic capacity, optimal cardiovascular training.

  • Zone 4 (Threshold)
    • Perceived exertion: Fast pace and a bit uncomfortable, breathing forceful. Benefits: Improved anaerobic capacity and threshold, improved speed.

  • Zone 5 (Maximum)
    • Perceived exertion: Sprinting pace, unsustainable for long period of time, labored breathing. Benefits: Anaerobic and muscular endurance, increased power.

Moderate should be Zone 2-3 I would assume? But if I work out at zone 2, it won't count intensity minutes? I am just trying to figure this out. I would assume vigorous is at the high end of Zone 3, because Zone 4 is apparently anaerobic? Sorry but I am trying to both figure this out so that I understand, and also make my watch actually start giving me numbers I can track and see if I am doing anything good for my body or if I am just wasting time doing the "wrong" things.

Thanks for any and all help.

 

  • 0 over 5 years ago

    Another general question, and my apologies because I post so much, but I am trying to learn. Is "vigorous" activity (described as out of breath, no longer able to talk, significantly higher HR) aerobic or anaerobic? I always thought that cardiac function is improved with aerobic activity, not so much anaerobic activity?

  • 0 over 3 years ago

    I found this whole thing quite confusing too.  The only explanation I have so far is that the Garmin is built for athletes, who wouldn't count a walk around the block as a workout (even a moderate one), whereas the AHA is talking to the average Joe or Jane. 

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to The Mighty Scottster

    You are right, of course. I am far from an athlete and really wanted something to measure my progress and monitor my health, but it really doesn't seem to be aimed at someone in my fitness level.

  • 0 over 3 years ago in reply to Denise

    You're still getting benefits from it in the sense that it encourages you to keep moving (step counting) and has other features that will help - just ignore the IMs for now.  Good luck! 

  • 0 over 2 years ago

    Yes, I believe they have this wrong.

    Last week I got 5 points for playing tennis 1h, 15 minutes in Z3 (70-80%) determined by LH in the watch.

    The week before I got 32moderate and 27 vigorous (86 total) for playing tennis 2h, 38 min Z3 and 27 min in Z4 .

    Just for reference, RHR 50, standing 80, flat walking 90-100, LT 168, theoretical max 181. So I would say even the AHA doesn't have it fully correct, 50% is IMO too low. Less trained people slow walk at 50-60% For myself I would go with 120-150 moderate and 150+ vigorous. So moderate 65-80%, not the 7X-80% they have now. Or at least full Z3.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to 4396177

    I sometimes end up with 1000+ intensity minutes weekly. After Monday and Tuesday, I got 93 vigorous minutes, and 61 moderate, which equals 247 minutes combined. This was weight lifting on Monday, a couple of rounds of disc golf and an easy 5K jog on Tuesday. Nothing really vigorous, but the wrist heart rate was reading a bit high both for the lifting and the jogging.

    My heart rate zones are set up like this:

    1: 60-72 percent

    2: 72-82 percent

    3: 82-87 percent

    4: 87-92 percent

    5: 92-100 percent

    Resting heart rate 42, maximum heart rate 180.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to ovekvam

    Interesting. How did you get to your max HR number?

    Anyway the numbers are nice, you must be in good shape. When I am weightlifting I am usually between 110-130, but maybe you are having shorter breaks between sets.

  • 0 over 2 years ago in reply to 4396177

    My maximum heart rate is just an estimate based on what I have reached during running in competition, going all in. I think my real heart rate is like yours when lifting weights, but I sometimes record it on my watch with the "cardio" app, causing the watch to overrate my heart rate. My VO2Max is 52, and I am 51 years old.