Do you know your perfect workout range-that magic spot where you’ll burn the most fat and calories and build lean tissue?

If you say it’s when you feel like you can’t possibly work out any harder, you’re wrong! Actually, working out to an intensity that is painful or uncomfortable is bad for your body, and leads to an anaerobic state that burns muscle instead of fat.

So what do you do instead?

Experts at the American Academy of Sports Medicine suggest you use this formula to find the best exercise pace for you:

An image of a heart Español: Una imagen de un corazón para Deseo. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220.
• Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.6 to get your lower limit,
• Multiply your maximum heart rate by 0.9 to get your upper limit.

Once you have your ideal heart rate range, aim to work out at the lower limit for longer periods, rather than for shorter periods at the higher level.

And don’t worry about taking it too easy-you’ll build more muscle (and burn more fat) by keeping your intensity in check.

 Now that’s a winning workout!