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Why monitor your heart rate?
You're huffing and puffing through another
aerobic workout, wondering if you're really
doing yourself any good. Are you working too
hard or not hard enough?
You look around. The person next to you has
barely broken a sweat while the one in front is
drenched from head to toe. Well, sweat may not
be the best indicator of exercise intensity. For
that, we need to look to our hearts.
Heart rates, to be exact. When you exercise,
your heart beats faster to meet the demand for
more blood and oxygen by the muscles of the
body. The more intense the activity, the faster
your heart will beat. Therefore, monitoring your
heart rate during exercise can be an excellent
way to monitor exercise intensity.
For the majority of aerobic enthusiasts,
there is a range of exercise intensities that is
described as safe and effective for promoting
cardiovascular benefits. To determine what range
is best for you, you'll need to be familiar with
a few terms.
1. Maximal heart rate:
This number is related to your age. As we grow
older, our hearts start to beat a little more
slowly. To estimate your maximal heart rate,
simply subtract your age from the number 220.
2. Target heart-rate zone:
This is the number of beats per minute (bpm) at
which your heart should be beating during
aerobic exercise. For most healthy individuals,
this range is 50 to 80 percent of your maximal
heart rate. So, if your maximal heart rate is
180 bpm, the low end of the range (50 percent)
would be 90 bpm, and the high end of the range
(80 percent) would be 144 bpm.
What does this recommended heart-rate
range mean?
Now that you've determined your target
heart-rate zone, you need to know how to put
that information to good use. These numbers
serve as a guideline - an indicator of how hard
you should be exercising.
Those just beginning an aerobic program
should probably aim for the low end of the zone
and pick up the intensity as they become more
comfortable with their workouts. Those who are
more fit, or are training for competitive
events, may want to aim for the higher end of
the zone.
Keep in mind that the target heart-rate zone
is recommended for individuals without any
health problems. Additionally, individuals
taking medication that alter the heart rate
should consult their physician for recommended
exercise intensity.
Where to monitor?
There are a number of ''sites'' used to
monitor the pulse rate. Two convenient sites to
use are the radial pulse at the base of the
thumb of either hand, or the carotid pulse at
the side of the neck.
Accurate pulse-count assessment is crucial
when monitoring exercise intensity. By using the
first two fingers of one hand and locating the
artery, a pulse rate can be easily determined.
Immediately after exercise, isolate your
pulse and count the number of beats in a
10-second period. To determine the heart rate in
beats per minute, multiply the number of beats
per 10 seconds by six. For instance, if a
10-second pulse count were 20, then the heart
rate would be 120 bpm.
A final word about heart-rate monitoring
Remember, your estimated target heart-rate
zone is just that - an estimate. If you feel
like you are exercising too hard, you probably
are. The best advice is to reduce your intensity
and find a heart-rate range that works for you.
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