Heart rate question

joannajohnson295
joannajohnson295 Posts: 27 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey chaps and chapesses, i was wondering if anyone had any knowledge of safe heart rates whilst on a treadmill? Being new to running/jogging i am still learning and basically just trying to increase my distance slowly. I am 38 and around 155lbs 5'4 and my resting heart rate is between 58 and 62. I run between 5 and 8k and my heart rate can reach 150-160 on occasion (according to the machine) and a friend mentioned that this might be too high to be healthy especially over a longer period. Is this right? I don't run fast, around 8.9k/hr and apart from shin ache and sweating i feel otherwise fine with even breathing. Am i ok to continue or is my friend right? I have no health issues. Thanks

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    I ran a 10k a month ago, it took me 62 minutes, my average heart rate during that time was 162 bpm. If I told my doctor, he'd give me a high five.

    I did a test once to find my maximum heart rate. Before I got to it, but presumably when I got close, I started to get tunnel vision, and what I was doing became extremely difficult. I got slightly dizzy (not enough to pass out, but enough to take notice) and had to stop. We evolved from hunters and gatherers who often chased prey and ran from predators, I think a normal, healthy person will get too tired to continue before they do any real damage.

    Also, heart rate is highly individual.

    But if you have any reason to be concerned, talk to your doctor. For real.
  • joannajohnson295
    joannajohnson295 Posts: 27 Member
    Great thanks, my common sense and existing knowledge thought similar and that i would be huffed and puffed and struggling if it were true but i was bamboozled by their terminology and onslaught if facts lol.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Not a problem. Your HR response is perfectly normal.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    Everyone is different. Treadmills may not be the most accurate on speed, distance, or hr. You'll just have to find what's comfortable for you. The rule is, if you can talk or sing, you are going at an easy pace.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    Basic rule in heart rate is taking 220 minus your age and working in the 65%-85% range.

    IE: 220-30 years=190
    190x.65= 123BPM
    190x.85= 161BPM

    So anywhere in the 123-161BPM range for a 30 year old is fine. Fitter people will do higher than 161.

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  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
    joannajohnson295 wrote: »
    I run between 5 and 8k and my heart rate can reach 150-160 on occasion (according to the machine) and a friend mentioned that this might be too high to be healthy especially over a longer period. Is this right?

    No, not right. You are perfectly fine, probably. If you've got a bad heart, heart disease, something like that, then maybe - also your doctor would know ;) if your heart is healthy, your body will stop you before any thing bad happens.

    I'm your age and my heart rate is never that low when running :smiley:
  • niblue
    niblue Posts: 339 Member
    150-160 sounds absolutely fine. I'm 48 with a max heart rate of 180 or so and I often hit 170+ when pushing hard on runs. Generally I try to maintain around 140-150 on longer runs.
  • rikkejn
    rikkejn Posts: 17 Member
    I wouldn't worry too much about heart rate. I am a casual runner and often reach 180-190 even on relatively easy runs. Initially that freaked me out, but the thing is that I can still sing along to my music at this stage and it comes down straightaway. I checked with some doctors I know and they told me this was more important than the numbers. If you feel like you are bursting/have trouble breathinh or if your rate takes a long time to come down that would be cause of concern. I now use the heartrate mainly to monitor my progress and compare different types of exercise in terms of aerobic effort.
  • rikkejn
    rikkejn Posts: 17 Member
    But just as an aside you really should keep an eye on the shin ache. Even minor niggles can lead to long-term issues. When I first started running, I ignored something similar and ended up having to take 2 months off. Shin aches can come from over training, bad form or shoes and can cause real permanent issues. It may be nothing - I have a bit if it right now, so choosing to be a bit conservative in my training.

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