Exceeding maximum heart rate

dustyhockeymom

I took my first ever group fitness class today. It was a trampoline aerobics class and I had a blast. It was very hard and I had to stop more than the fit girls in the class but I did the whole class and I want to go back. My concern is that from the warm-up to the cool-down I was exceeding my maximum heart rate and my HRM was beeping at me constantly. I stopped when I needed to and I never felt light headed or that I was in any danger. Is it bad to be over my maximum? I am not even sure if the range on my HRM is accurate, as it isn't very large, but I don't want to be doing anything bad for me. Thanks for the help.

SimplyDeLish

This is really a question for your doctor.

Christine1110

You really should make a appt and see your doctor about this....better to be safe then sorry : )

schobert101

Well in truth it is not possible to be over your maximum since by definition your maximum is the highest you can get.. I'm not sure how you calculated your maximum but if you used one of the standard formulas they can be way off. Per the formula my maxium (220-age) would be 163 but I'm just warming up then. My true maximum as determined by actual running such as hill repeats to exhaustion, the end of a 5K race etc is about 190. One's maximum by the way is mostly genetic and not necessarily a sign of fitness so a high maximum is neither good or bad.......it just is what it is. So if you are "over maximim' then your maximum is wrong. You might want to do a search on ways you can determine your true maximum.

schobert101

Oh, an addendum to my above note..............I do happen do be a doctor...........you don't need to see your doctor about this. You just need to get an accurate maximum heart rate.

deckerp

Are you over your maximum heart rate or over your target range?

http://health.yahoo.net/adamcontent/physical-activity

RECOMMENDATIONS

Physical activity is divided into two types of activities for adults: aerobic activity and muscle-strengthening activity.

Aerobic activity can be of moderate or vigorous intensity. It is important to start with aerobic activities that are less intense at first, and work up to more vigorous activity.

While performing moderate activities (such as brisk walking), you should be able to talk but not sing. Vigorous activity requires taking a breath every few words.

You can also monitor the intensity of exercise by using your heart rate. The target heart rate during physical activity should be 60% - 90% of the maximum heart rate.

To calculate your target heart rate, use the following formula:

220 (beats per minute) minus age = maximum heart rate.
Maximum heart rate multiplied by the intensity level = target heart rate.
For example, a 50-year-old woman exercising at 60% maximum would use the following calculation:

220 - 50 = 170 (maximum heart rate)
170 X 60% = 102 (target heart rate)
This is her target heart rate, regardless of the type of physical activity she elects to do.

Physical activity at 60 to 70% of the maximum heart rate is considered moderate intensity exercise. You can moderately exercise safely for a long period of time. It is best to start an exercise program with moderate intensity exercise.

So you may be okay to get your heart rate up that high. If you're worried you could verify with your doctor. Better safe than sorry.

dustyhockeymom

According to this, I am not exceeding my maximum heart rate but my target heart rate according to my HRM. That's a good distinction. The range on my HRM is from 111-145, but based on the calculations provided my maximum heart rate would be 183 and a range of 60-90% would be 109-164, There is a pretty significant different between a high end of 145 and 164. I never exceeded 183 and rarely exceeded 164 but exceeded 145 constantly. I wonder if I can change the settings on my HRM to fit the calculations. Thanks for the info.

staclo

I took my first ever group fitness class today. It was a trampoline aerobics class and I had a blast. It was very hard and I had to stop more than the fit girls in the class but I did the whole class and I want to go back. My concern is that from the warm-up to the cool-down I was exceeding my maximum heart rate and my HRM was beeping at me constantly. I stopped when I needed to and I never felt light headed or that I was in any danger. Is it bad to be over my maximum? I am not even sure if the range on my HRM is accurate, as it isn't very large, but I don't want to be doing anything bad for me. Thanks for the help.

I had that happen to me too when I used my older HRM. It would beep at me constantly. The best thing that I would suggest (and what I do) is to listen to your body while you are working out. If you are winded and working hard, that's pretty normal. If you are dizzy, nauseous, or are having a hard time breathing, you need to stop.

pinkita

Bumping this as I have a related question.

During my kettlebell workout today my Polar FT4 was constantly beeping at me about being over my target too... for about 15mins out of a 40min workout.

My question isn't about safety because I felt totally fine, but rather effectiveness. Is it bad to be over your target in the sense that you're no longer burning fat if you're over your target??

Thanks!