Heart Rate Always High

buchbrun64
buchbrun64 Posts: 40
edited January 3 in Fitness and Exercise
Hello,
I wanted to ask about this and, from reading the various posts, it seems there is are a LOT of very informed people in this group. I am 48 years old (well, I will be on December 1st), female, 5' 6" and currently weigh 139. My goal weight is to get back to my "normal" weight of 120. When I do cardio, my heart rate is always very high. At around 150 I feel fine, if I push it to 170, I feel I am getting a "hard" work out. My heart rate has always been high when I work out but I feel fine, great even, when I do cardio or when I am weight training. Yes, it is HARD but I don't feel like I am having any issues and/or problems. Does anyone else have this issue and/or any thoughts on it? I have been working out for about 18 months, have refocused on am working on much more regularly for about the last three months and have started to really tweek my eating within the last month. I feel great and want to continue to push myself harded. I just wondered about the whole heart rate thing. Also, I have no health issues and have had a doctor's check up and am not on any medication.
Thanks,
M

Replies

  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
    I'm no cardiologist by any means, but my own thoughts and observations are that people's natural heart ranges fall into such a wide range that it's one of those things that we really must gauge for ourselves. We are basically 20 years apart age-wise but it sounds like our heart ranges during exercise tend to follow around the same pattern, even though the commonly accepted HR formula of 220-age would like to say otherwise.

    As long as you aren't feeling faint, dizzy, particularly short of breath or anything, I can't say I see a real reason not to keep up. But.. that's just my take on it!
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    I'm no cardiologist by any means, but my own thoughts and observations are that people's natural heart ranges fall into such a wide range that it's one of those things that we really must gauge for ourselves. We are basically 20 years apart age-wise but it sounds like our heart ranges during exercise tend to follow around the same pattern, even though the commonly accepted HR formula of 220-age would like to say otherwise.

    As long as you aren't feeling faint, dizzy, particularly short of breath or anything, I can't say I see a real reason not to keep up. But.. that's just my take on it!

    Yup, pretty much this. If you feel fine, and you checked out fine at the doctor's, there's nothing to worry about. If you get pain in your chest or you get dizzy or something, it might be worth looking into. Until then, enjoy your workouts :) FWIW, I regularly see 180s-190s but I am about 15 years younger so that would probably make up the difference right there.
  • buchbrun64
    buchbrun64 Posts: 40
    Thanks! I am always being told by the fitness people that my heart rate is too high but, truly, I feel fine. Well, I mean I feel like I am working out LOL but not like I am going to pass out! At 150 I can talk and carry on a conversation, at 170 I want to concentrate. : ) I was just wondering if I should worry since the fitness people at the gym keep telling me my heart rate should NOT be that high...I am like....OK....not sure what to do about that. : )
  • MichelleLaree13
    MichelleLaree13 Posts: 865 Member
    I would check in with a doctor. You dont want to stress your heart and cause damage.
  • marynificent
    marynificent Posts: 110 Member
    what is important is your resting heart rate. i am a runner and weightlifter and I have a fast heart. when I sprint, I am easily over max, or what is perceived to be max heart rate. my resting heart rate is usually in the 80s, though recently, i've finally dropped it into the 70s. normally someone in my condition would have a resting heart rate in the 50s, but it's just my genetic lot that i cannot get there. as long as your resting heart rate isn't really high, you are probably ok.

    at 150, I am probably just walking up a hill. at 195, I am running 10mph and would probably fall if I tried to talk. I can still hold a conversation at 175.

    I stopped wearing a HRM because I find it incredibly distracting :) My doctor says I am very healthy and people just have different hearts. Your cardiac output is heart rate + stroke volume, so maybe you just have less blood volume or are dehydrated or the like - always worth asking a doctor but not worth getting worked up about on your own.

    xo
  • guacamole17
    guacamole17 Posts: 109 Member
    I was told awhile back that I was losing weight too easily (so there MUST be something wrong with me) and that my heart rate was too high. This particular person scared me so I went to get a slew of heart tests, including a 24 hour monitor thingy.

    Turns out I just run high and getting up to 135 just walking was ok for me. I get irritated if I can only get up to140-150 and aim for much high during cardio. I focus more on if I can breath rather than my specific heart rate.

    I might get myself checked out just in case.
  • guacamole17
    guacamole17 Posts: 109 Member


    at 150, I am probably just walking up a hill. at 195, I am running 10mph and would probably fall if I tried to talk. I can still hold a conversation at 175.

    haha yes!! at 195 Ive probably just jogged up that nasty hill in my neighborhood as fast as I could go! GAH that hill sucks!
  • Mighty_Rabite
    Mighty_Rabite Posts: 581 Member
    Granted that I am making an example of an extremely small specimen of the human population, but when I watch World's Strongest Man competitions and they're pulling a truck and their HRs hit 230-240.. it makes me think more about the idea of how you feel being the best barometer for those things.
  • buchbrun64
    buchbrun64 Posts: 40
    Thanks you guys. I feel great when I work out, push myself as hard as I can of course, but feel great. I have always ran high so I guess that must just be how my body is. It will be interesting to see if it changes at all as I continue to make progress!
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
    I am 48 years old ...When I do cardio, my heart rate is always very high. At around 150 I feel fine, if I push it to 170, I feel I am getting a "hard" work out. My heart rate has always been high when I work out but I feel fine, great even, when I do cardio or when I am weight training.

    Don't worry about it. I had my heart rate over 170 for over 30 minutes today. When I run 150 bpm is very easy effort, 160 is moderate effort, 170 means I'm working out at a fairly good effort. It gets a tad over 180 if I'm running up hill. I use mine as a guide to set my workout effort depending on if I want an easy run or a challenging run.

    If you feel good and fine then that's perfectly acceptable. I can still carry on a conversation at 170.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories