(Note: if you're really overweight, or are trying to achieve top physical condition, you will need to exercise for longer until you get down to optimum weight, at which point you can go back to 20 minutes.)

In fact, statistics show that going over 60 minutes or so of exercise per week actually decreases your lifespan due to the wear and tear you place on your body.

So that's your goal: 20 minutes, 3 times per week.

The Exercise Key - Achieve Optimal Heart Rate

Keep in mind that just going out for a stroll 3 times per week probably isn't good enough to be counted as exercise. The key is that you need to get your heart rate up to "stamina training" levels.

You can figure out what the appropriate stamina training level for you is by subtracting your age from 220, then taking 80% of the result.

So, for a 46 year old, the appropriate heart rate would be 220 - 46 = 174, then multiplying that by 0.8, which in this case is 139.2. So, let's call it 140 for nice round numbers.

That means that a 46 year old should do activities that get his heart rate up to 140 for 20 minutes, 3 times per week.

Not very good at math? Here's a table that shows stamina training pulse rates for different ages. To use it, find the number in the first column that's closest to your age (we suggest that you round down) and use the number in the second column as your exercising target

10 - 168
15 - 164
20 - 160
25 - 156
30 - 152
35 - 148
40 - 144
45 - 140
50 - 136
55 - 132
60 - 128
65 - 124
70 - 120
75 - 116
80 - 112
85 - 108
90 - 104
95 - 100
100 - 96

How can you tell what your heart rate is while working out?

One quick key is assess whether you're working hard enough to break sweat in a cool room. If you aren't you're probably not working out quite hard enough.

But a better solution is for you to actually measure your pulse.

How to Take Your Pulse Rate

The best way to do this is to feel your wrist. Feel that hard thing that runs down the center? That's a tendon. Now, take the fingers (not your thumb) of your other hand and slide them just to the thumb side of that tendon. Feel a throbbing? That's your pulse.

So now, look at your watch (since I wear my watch on my left hand, I always take my pulse from my left wrist with my right hand's fingers, that way I can see my watch while I'm feeling my pulse). Start counting your heartbeats when the second hand reaches the 12. Count heartbeats until the second hand reaches the 3, then multiply that number by 4. That's your pulse.

Sound too hard? There are tools available out there that measure your pulse and tell you at a glance. More on that in a future article!

There's your goal - 20 minutes of pulse-pounding workout (actually, hitting your stamina rate isn't really "pulse pounding" - it's really not that hard for most people to hit their stamina pulse rate) just three times per week, and you're well on your way to adding years to your life!

Keep watching this space for more information on how to achieve optimum heart health!

The material in this site is provided for personal, non-commercial, educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation or endorsement with respect to any company or product. We are not doctors and make no representations and specifically disclaims all warranties, express, implied or statutory, regarding the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose of any material contained in this site. You should seek the advice of a medical professional regarding your particular situation.