Elevated Pulse While Walking

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thelovelyjesse
thelovelyjesse Posts: 49 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Good Afternoon! I am looking for a bit of reassurance. I am pretty out of shape and am trying to get started on getting back into a good place. I just took at 15 minute walk during my break at work, and my BPM was between 165-172, according to my Apple Watch. That seems really high, and I'm not sure I've noticed that before, even when working out on the elliptical.

I haven't worked out in several weeks, and even then, it was pretty sparse. I haven't really been great about excising for a few years and I'm the heaviest I've ever been. Even with that, I would expect my BPM to be that high. Has anyone had any experience with this? Maybe my Apple Watch is miscalculating?

Thanks for the feedback, in advance!

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Did you feel that you were really exerting yourself? If my heart rate was that high I'd be huffing and puffing.

    It may be that the watch is off, best thing I can suggest is to try and replicate the results but also manually check your pulse (counts the beats for 15 sec & multiply by 4) .
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    If you were breathing normally, your watch was misreading your heart rate. It's perfectly normal for wrist based heart rate monitors to be wrong about what your heart rate is.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    Something seems pretty off...if my heart rate is that high, I'm putting in some major exertion and huffing and puffing and can't talk...
  • thelovelyjesse
    thelovelyjesse Posts: 49 Member
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    No, I didn't feel like I was overly straining myself. I tend to walk pretty fast, but on previous break-time walks, it's been between 110-120. I didn't feel any different today then I did before. I think my watch may have been off, thanks for confirming that I'm not going bananas, everyone! I appreciate it.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
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    I agree with others who have suggested you double-check the accuracy of the watch.

    If it is accurate: As your fitness level increases, you will likely find that your heart rate will decrease at the same activity levels. My resting HR was 80's several years ago and is now upper 40's. Also, I can run at the same HR where I used to walk. This is a common result of improved cardiovascular health.
  • Athena98501
    Athena98501 Posts: 716 Member
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    As to experience with a higher heart rate during exertion, yeah. Mine can get very high using the elliptical, and once on a treadmill for a cardiac stress test. At the rate you have been reading, I can breathe normally, and actually even sing like normal. It takes getting over 180 for me to start huffing and puffing, and I hit 210 with the cardiologist, and he said it was fine for me. I had also had other tests suggesting it wasn't unsafe to push me to that point in the first place, though.

    If you are concerned, you should consult your doctor, but all I can tell you is that it can happen and is fine for some people. All of that said, any hrm in a watch isn't going to be as accurate as one with a chest strap.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
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    It's not hard to take your pulse! Just take it yourself and find out if the watch is correct. Count beats for fifteen seconds and multiply by four.

    There are several reasons for your heart rate to be temporarily higher than usual, some scary, some not so scary. Check it next time you see that high a reading.

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