heart rate question

keziah23

I am 37 (well almost), overweight by 58 pounds. I have had asthma all my life. My blood pressure averages around 95/65. When I do cardio (typically elliptical) within 5 minutes (usually less) the machine is freaking out telling me I need to slow down to lower my heart rate. My resting heart rate is in the high 70's (81 as I sit at my desk right now) usually, 2-3 minutes of cardio puts me in the 120's, 5-10 minutes puts me in the 150's anything over 10 minutes and I am hitting high 160's low 170's.
So I just wondered if this was normal, especially combined with my lowish blood pressure.

jenniferg83

thats what type numbers i get too if it concerns you, i'd talk to a dr

MayhemModels

Your Max Heart Rate is 183......... 220 - 37 = 183 You shouldn't train above 85% of your Max Heart rate and to burn nothing but fat you should train in the aerobic range 70% of your Max Heart Rate not anerobic range which is around 71 to 85% of your MHR so try and just go slower on the machine and keep your heart rate around 60 to 70% of your MHR

keziah23

I've tried going slower, I go so slow that the machines goes into pause mode! and my HR still does not come down, takes a long time to come back down into my normal range (greater than 15 minutes).
I think maybe I'll try the treadmill tonight instead of elliptical, but I like the workout on the elliptical better.

MayhemModels

That might help, if it doesn't I would check with your Dr.

keziah23

Thanks everyone, will try to remember to post the results of said experiment

keziah23

I did 30 minutes on the treadmill at about 3.5mph and kept my heart rate in the 130's, but I don't like it as well as the elliptical. HR was in low 100's after 30 minutes circuit training.

Azdak

I am 37 (well almost), overweight by 58 pounds. I have had asthma all my life. My blood pressure averages around 95/65. When I do cardio (typically elliptical) within 5 minutes (usually less) the machine is freaking out telling me I need to slow down to lower my heart rate. My resting heart rate is in the high 70's (81 as I sit at my desk right now) usually, 2-3 minutes of cardio puts me in the 120's, 5-10 minutes puts me in the 150's anything over 10 minutes and I am hitting high 160's low 170's.
So I just wondered if this was normal, especially combined with my lowish blood pressure.

Stop using cardio programs, first of all. Control your own intensity. Machines are programmed with the most basic information and the guidelines they use don't apply to a significant percentage of the population.

By itself, heart rate is not that significant. You need to pay attention not only to the HR numbers, but your feelings of perceived exertion.

Some signs to be aware of:

Feelings of shortness of breath (not the usual increased exercise breathing), lightheadedness, dizziness

A sharp and sustained increase in heart rate, especially if not accompanied by an increase in workload, and especially if associated with any of the symptoms above.

Feeling that your heart is "fluttering" or "pounding" in your chest.

There is a lot of normal variability when it comes to exercise heart rates and your numbers, per se, are not that unusual. The presence of symptoms or sudden changes in heart rate are usually more significant.