Heart Rate?
How do you determine what a maximum heart rate is? And how is this different from a "target" heart rate? Is it bad to have a heart rate at your maximum while exercising?
My best friend was warned by her fitness instructor that her heart rate was too high yesterday, and she asked me if I knew what the problem was. She said her heart rate after stationary biking rigorously was 172, and her max is 192. Her instructor said that was much too high for her and she needs to take it easier during exercise so she doesn't have a heart attack! and she was definitely serious I guess...
some background - she's overweight, probably in the 200+ lb range, somewhere probably around 5'5" or so and 24 years old. She's not overly active, but she does teach swim lessons and senior swim exercises a few times a week, used to be a lifeguard, and occassionally bikes/walks, along with her weekly fitness class where she does treadmill work and stationary biking.
Does having a 172 heartrate when your max is 192 seems dangerous? Could it cause a heart attack? If a max is 192, then how is a target heart rate determined - if the target is different from the max? Is it a good idea to get a heart rate monitor when working out so you don't end up killing yourself? The thought if keeling over from a heart attack while exercising seems kind of scary
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Wow! 172 I think that is really high.
My resting pulse is about 94 which is actually considered high.
A good resting pulse should be about 60 or 70.
I'm not sure about max pulse.
I just can't imagine my pulse going 172 beats per minute.
For instance a larger animal like an elephane will have a slowere heart rate then say a humming bird, which I think is something like 200 (don't quote me on that, I'll have to google it).
172 is high if you're working hard. But it's only 80% of her max, which is a good range to reach, but you can't maintain it for very long if you're not in pretty decent shape. I think she's fine. The trainer probably just looked at a person who is over weight and not in great shape and told her that for liability reasons.
We have hour long spinning classes at my gym that are specifically tailored to be at 80% of max for an hour and no one has dropped dead in the 6 years I've been working out there. Maybe she should just work up to it. Do intervals of 80% with rest in between and slowly, over time, increase the length of her intervals.
So for an intense workout, being at about 80% of your max heartrate is good? Just so long as its not for extended periods of time for someone who isn't physically fit... Does that make it your target heart rate - 80% of the max?
I'm new to the whole heart rate thing, never really paid any attention to it. But when my friend told me how her instructor warned her to take it easy so she didn't have a heart attack, I thought it might be a good thing to be aware of from now on!!
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
I don't know the exact calculation for target heart rate, but you can do a search and there are tons of sites for it.
80% of max is good if you go in spurts.
I just looked it up on the Mayo Clinic website...
I thought heart rate was based off of a person's physical fitness level (ie weight), but it is moreso based off of age. Mayo Clinic has a target heart rate calculator and all it wants is your age. So for me and my friend, 24 years old, our target heart rate range is 137-167 beats per minute. Max heart rate is 220 minus your age (so 220-24 is 196 max heart rate).
Per the Mayo clinic:
"For vigorous exercise, aim for a target heart rate of 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate (MHR). Your MHR (roughly calculated as 220 minus your age) is the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can handle during physical activity.
If you're just starting out on an exercise program, keep your heart rate at the lower end of your target heart rate zone and gradually work up to a higher intensity level.
These numbers are estimates that provide an average value. Many people have a higher or lower MHR, sometimes by as much as 15 to 20 beats per minute. Disagreement exists on how to most accurately estimate your MHR and what percentage range to target."
Soooooooo thats a lot of info! I still think I'm going to buy a heartrate monitor for my exercising.. just out of curiousity moreso than worry though!
Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
This is where that age calculation isn't that accurate. When you get your monitor, you can program it with a more accurate method using your resting heart rate. The more physically fit you are, the lower your resting heart rate will be, usually.Originally Posted by KMonte85
I agree with Sourpuss...maybe the instructor just realized she was out of shape...when I am getting back into working our after a hiatus I try to reach 80% in burst then lower speed/incline to get back down to about 60-65% then bump it back up. BUT when I'm in good shape and working out 5-6 days a week, I can go at 80% of my max for 30 minutes at least with no problem at all.
If you smile when no one else is around, you really mean it.
-Andy Rooney
It is discouraging how many people are shocked by honesty and how few by deceit.--Noel Coward
Live your life and forget your age. --Norman Vincent Peale
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