During high school, what percentage of target heart rate is generally recommended?

• A. 60-90% of target heart rate
• B. 30-50% of target heart rate
• C. 0-20% of target heart rate
• D. 90-100% of target heart rate

Answer: (A)

Target heart rate is the beat-rate you aim for during aerobic work to ensure you’re training at an effective level. For high school athletes and students, workouts usually target a moderate to vigorous effort, which falls roughly in the 60–90% range of your estimated maximum heart rate. The maximum heart rate is often approximated by subtracting your age from 220, so for teens this translates to a practical range that keeps you in a sustainable, beneficial zone rather than overexerting you for long periods. Staying in this 60–90% window helps improve cardiovascular fitness, endurance, and overall health. Lower ranges like 30–50% or 0–20% are too light to provoke meaningful training effects, while pushing toward 90–100% is near maximal effort and is not typical for general PE sessions.