My heart rate

DarleneMarie203

Hi all! I have a question about my heart rate, while exercising. I am 47 years old, very out of shape, just getting back to the gym after 2 year's, I'm 5'6" & I weigh 220 pounds. I need to know how high my heart rate can be until it becomes dangerously high? Right now while I'm on the treadmill, when it starts to go over 100, I start getting scared. I just need how high it can go safely. Thanks in advance! I never really understood the whole heart rate thing! Lol!

EddieP50

The max heart rate calculation used for exercise is usually 220- your age. So 220-47=173 for max. The target zone would be between 50 to 85% of that number or 86 to 147.

http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/PhysicalActivity/FitnessBasics/Target-Heart-Rates_UCM_434341_Article.jsp#.Vx1vOUfLosJ

DarleneMarie203

Thank you so much! So, I could go up to 147 and be okay?

nutmegoreo

My heart rate will get pretty close to max several times during a more strenuous workout. I wouldn't try to keep it there for any length of time, but for short periods, it's fine. The important factor is that it comes back down when you slow down. This is assuming you have no underlying medical conditions where pushing it up would cause problems.

singingflutelady

My hr at 38 has hit 199 and I lived those numbers are arbitrary

dewd2

The calculations are just estimate. Your max may vary +/- 20 or more beats per minute. But I'm am positive it is way more than 100.

There is no danger in pushing your heart if it is healthy. Only your doctor can tell you if that is okay. Please consult the doc first.

FWIW, when I race my heart rate goes way past 170 for 30-90 minutes at a time and I am 47. YMMV.

anglyn1

I have tachycardia so my heart rate is nearly always over 100 and has exceeded 200!!! I'd say as long as you don't have a heart condition the formula mentioned above should be safe for you.

awinner_au

dewd2 wrote: »

The calculations are just estimate. Your max may vary +/- 20 or more beats per minute. But I'm am positive it is way more than 100.

There is no danger in pushing your heart if it is healthy. Only your doctor can tell you if that is okay. Please consult the doc first.

You could get a stress test done, if you push yourself and anything seems out of the ordinary stop and get a test done. Otherwise just keep calm and carry on

My max is ~187 i hit that regularly during HIIT, i can cruise along >165 for long periods, Im 56.

heybales

Slightly better estimate.
www.calculatenow.biz/sport/heart.php?

Stay in the Fat-burning zone for couple weeks (better and previously called Active Recovery HR zone) so your muscles, tendons, and ligaments get used to this new movement at higher intensity.
But this is not the zone to stay in.

Then ramp on up to Aerobic level if you notice no problems at the lower level, if your Dr approves and you have no heart issue history.

Keep going back to calculation - as your resting HR improves - the zones will change to keep your heart challenged as you become more fit.
Sadly your muscles may not even improve as fast as your heart does.

And considering the start of exercise range is usually about 90 bpm - reaching 100 isn't nearly enough. Ya, you'll be going higher, much higher eventually.

6pkdreamer

From what I understand-
One of the best guides to the condition of your cardio vascular system is how quickly your heart recovers.
As a guide next time your at the gym-
Exercise and note your final heart rate when you stop exercising.
One minute later take a second measurement.
Take the second measurement away from the first measurement.
If the difference is less than 10 BPM see your doctor.

http://www.cyclemoles.com/2013/05/1-minute-heart-rate-recovery/

Maximum heart is as said previously only an estimate of what you heart maximum could be. Everyone is different. The only way to find out is by actually doing a physical test and measure the maximum. Knowing this is useful for establishing target zones for exercising. If your healthy one doesn't just blowup when the maximum reached.

Prolonged elevated heart rate in endurance events is more harmful than short bursts at a high level.

chrisfwood

I have push my heart to 90-100% of the estimated max i.e. 180 for over 4 minutes and I am not super fix, as with all things if you are struggling to cope with the workout then slow down or stop i.e. listen to your body.

floridagirl7264

Listen to your body. It will tell you how much is too much. I'm 51 and 212. I stay steady at about 125, which is my fat burning rate, but will spike it up to 150 to work towards getting fitter.

SingingSingleTracker

dmarie203 wrote: »

Thank you so much! So, I could go up to 147 and be okay?

Yes.

Here's my down and dirty heart zone perceived effort table...

1. Old lady pace
2. Chatty pace
3. Feel good hard
4. Feel bad hard
5. I am going to die
6. Flat out

Heart rate zones explained:

http://www.active.com/triathlon/articles/training-zones-explained

When you mentioned you were on the treadmill with your heart rate starting to go over 100, you were more or less still in the old lady pace zone.

Here are my own personal - at age 54 - zones which I use all the time (and are set automatically with the apps and equipment I use for cardio exercise)...

Heart Rate

Threshold: 165 bpm

Zone 5C: Anaerobic Capacity 174-179 (Flat out)
Zone 5B: Aerobic Capacity 168-173 (I am going to die)
Zone 5A: SuperThreshold 164-167 (Feel Bad Hard to edge of I am going to die)
Zone 4: SubThreshold 154-163 (Feel bad hard)
Zone 3: Tempo 147-153 (Feel good hard)
Zone 2: Aerobic 133-146 (Chatty pace)
Zone 1: Recovery 107-132 (Old lady pace)

Your numbers will be different, and as you lose weight and become more aerobically fit will improve. Build a good base with Zone 1 and Zone 2 (Old Lady Pace and Chatty Pace).

Clarewho

Some good info here but your doctor is the best person to ask. Mine will typically max about 150 during very hard cardio but more typically a bit lower. (I'm 45). But if you're just starting with exercise I'd ask a professional.

DarleneMarie203

Thanks everyone!

DrifterBear

If you haven't exercised for awhile and have a few additional potential risk factors, it would be a good idea to see your doctor. Don't look at a chart and decide you should safely be able to hit an HR. Your doctor can do an EKG during a physical to decide how much stress your body can handle. Regardless, you should increase intensity and duration of exercise slowly. IF you're cleared for exercise and have been doing (as an example) 20 minute walks achieving 100 BPM, you should start off increasing to 25 min and try increasing intensity so that you achieve 105 or 110 BPM. Again, only examples, talk to your doctor.

DarleneMarie203

DrifterBear wrote: »

If you haven't exercised for awhile and have a few additional potential risk factors, it would be a good idea to see your doctor. Don't look at a chart and decide you should safely be able to hit an HR. Your doctor can do an EKG during a physical to decide how much stress your body can handle. Regardless, you should increase intensity and duration of exercise slowly. IF you're cleared for exercise and have been doing (as an example) 20 minute walks achieving 100 BPM, you should start off increasing to 25 min and try increasing intensity so that you achieve 105 or 110 BPM. Again, only examples, talk to your doctor.

DarleneMarie203

Thanks! I do have a Cardiologist that I see, who said I should be fine to excercise. I was hospitalized in November, had an EKG, stress test etc. .. and the Doctor said that everything looks good. The last time I saw him, he gave me the okay for exercise, I just forgot to ask about the whole heart rate thing. I'll call his office tomorrow to find out what a safe rate for me is while exercising.

heybales

You might also ask how high the HR got during the stress test - for comparison sake.

Sometimes they use 80% of estimated HRmax to take you up too - so not a true max test - but still - if you found out they saw no issues doing 150 say - then you know you have a good range to go before needing to even think about worrying.

They may even have estimated a better HRmax based on what they saw. That's mighty useful.

JeromeBarry1

As you exercise at a consistent pace for a number of days, you'll notice that your heart rate, and I assume you are using an accurate heart rate monitor, decreases slightly. This is the sign you want to see of cardiovascular improvement. It's a pleasant thing to see and you'll want more.

SingingSingleTracker

SingingSingleTracker wrote: »

Here's my down and dirty heart zone perceived effort table...

Zone 5. I am going to die

Heart Rate

Zone 5B: Aerobic Capacity 168-173 (I am going to die)

I did 15 minutes in the "I'm going to die" effort today. 3 x 5 minute intervals with 5 minute recoveries between.

OP - jack your HR up over 100 since your Doc gave you the green light.

Get back to us how you feel during and after the workout(s).

DarleneMarie203

Thanks everyone! I have another question. Right now when I do the treadmill I set it to the Manual setting. Should I be using a different setting maybe Fat Burn or Cardio instead?

SingingSingleTracker

dmarie203 wrote: »

Thanks everyone! I have another question. Right now when I do the treadmill I set it to the Manual setting. Should I be using a different setting maybe Fat Burn or Cardio instead?

Manual is fine. That way you control the speed, duration, and the "tilt" of the tread yourself.

If you want to try one of the pre-programmed settings, feel free to give it a try. However, there is no need to do them.

bwogilvie

heybales wrote: »

You might also ask how high the HR got during the stress test - for comparison sake.

Sometimes they use 80% of estimated HRmax to take you up too - so not a true max test - but still - if you found out they saw no issues doing 150 say - then you know you have a good range to go before needing to even think about worrying.

This is good advice, since you have done a stress test. The formulas are pretty bad, even the ones that are more complicated than 220-age. They all tell me that my maximum HR three years ago should have been around 170-178, but I measured it at 192.

blues4miles

bwogilvie wrote: »

heybales wrote: »

You might also ask how high the HR got during the stress test - for comparison sake.

Sometimes they use 80% of estimated HRmax to take you up too - so not a true max test - but still - if you found out they saw no issues doing 150 say - then you know you have a good range to go before needing to even think about worrying.

This is good advice, since you have done a stress test. The formulas are pretty bad, even the ones that are more complicated than 220-age. They all tell me that my maximum HR three years ago should have been around 170-178, but I measured it at 192.

This! My stress test max showed it perfectly to be at my age-prediction, but I wonder if that's why they stopped me. A couple years later and I still see about the same or a little higher here and there on my runs. So pretty convinced mine is a little higher than my age prediction. Some people might be lower. Also, look up the "talk test". It's meant for running, but is a good indication of not pushing yourself too far. You should be able to speak a few sentences without gasping for breath.

Azdak

blues4miles wrote: »

bwogilvie wrote: »

heybales wrote: »

You might also ask how high the HR got during the stress test - for comparison sake.

Sometimes they use 80% of estimated HRmax to take you up too - so not a true max test - but still - if you found out they saw no issues doing 150 say - then you know you have a good range to go before needing to even think about worrying.

This is good advice, since you have done a stress test. The formulas are pretty bad, even the ones that are more complicated than 220-age. They all tell me that my maximum HR three years ago should have been around 170-178, but I measured it at 192.

This! My stress test max showed it perfectly to be at my age-prediction, but I wonder if that's why they stopped me. A couple years later and I still see about the same or a little higher here and there on my runs. So pretty convinced mine is a little higher than my age prediction. Some people might be lower. Also, look up the "talk test". It's meant for running, but is a good indication of not pushing yourself too far. You should be able to speak a few sentences without gasping for breath.

It's been my experience that most places will not push you anywhere close to max on a stress test. Partly it's because there is no need since most people do a nuclear test or stress echo and both of those do not require a max effort to show diagnostic changes. And since exercise physiologists have been pretty much removed from doing these tests, no one cares about looking at functional capacity--they are more interested in avoiding risk.

There is a history of heart valve failure in my family, so I go in for stress echos every couple of years. They always get nervous because I won't hold on to the handrails. The last one I was in pretty good shape and wanted to max out if I could, since I have no idea what my max HR is anymore. I asked them before the test to please let me go as long as I could and let me tell them when to stop (unless, of course, there was some serious issue on the ECG). Things were going great but as soon as I started to push, I felt the belt and incline going down. I looked at the tech and she said "well your heart rate is at 80%, so we stop at that point". I was really ticked off--it was lower than many of my workout HR levels.

So, no, I would not accept a peak stress test heart rate as a "HR Max" number.