Walking High Heart Rate

metalloz
metalloz Posts: 77 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I have a polar FT4 heart rate monitor watch that I wear when I'm power walking. My heart rate gets up to highs of 185 just from walking up a hill or some stairs and averages about 160 bpm. I can only run for a few minutes because it gets into the mid 190's.

Is this abnormal? Or am I just incredibly unfit?

I just went for a walk for 64 minutes and it said I burnt 530 calories. This seems awfully high considering I am only 5'2 and 117 pounds. I want to eat back the appropriate amount of calories. Could it be wrong?

Thanks

Replies

  • jigsaw_me
    jigsaw_me Posts: 616 Member
    I would recommend seeing a doctor.

    Your heart rate shooting up that high does sound unusual to me. It could just be that your HRM isn't working correctly but it's not worth taking a risk on (IMO).

    As for the calorie burn, it's based on the HRM - so you need to find out if it's giving you correct readings first.
  • metalloz
    metalloz Posts: 77 Member
    I am pretty sure it's correct because I feel my heart really pumping hard.

    My blood pressure is 100/70 and my resting heart rate is around 65 bpm.
  • musetle
    musetle Posts: 70
    I am 5'6' and 119 pounds- I went for a 90 minute walk today, very brisk with decent hills and my heart rate monitor said I burnt 470 calories. Either yours is inaccurate or your heart rate is abnormally high; I reiterate seeing a doctor just to be absolutely certain it's related to your level of fitness and not something more serious.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Lol @ using HRMs as medical devices.

    If you weren't wearing that thing, would anything have felt abnormal? Did you feel faint? Dizzy? Disoriented? At some point during your walk, did you kneel down and consider calling 911?

    Or did you just feel like a person that was going on a regular old, run of the mill, strenuous walk?
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    My guess is that your HRM isn't calibrated correctly or is malfunctioning. I'm 5'4", 125 lbs, and I can only burn about 300-350 (if that) walking for an hour at 4 mph with the incline cranked up. That makes me think there's something wrong with the device.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    Lol @ using HRMs as medical devices.

    If you weren't wearing that thing, would anything have felt abnormal? Did you feel faint? Dizzy? Disoriented? At some point during your walk, did you kneel down and consider calling 911?

    Or did you just feel like a person that was going on a regular old, run of the mill, strenuous walk?

    In most cases, it really is that simple.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    Lol @ using HRMs as medical devices.

    If you weren't wearing that thing, would anything have felt abnormal? Did you feel faint? Dizzy? Disoriented? At some point during your walk, did you kneel down and consider calling 911?

    Or did you just feel like a person that was going on a regular old, run of the mill, strenuous walk?

    In most cases, it really is that simple.
    I third this. My HR runs high and it's nothing to worry about and it doesn't imply I'm unfit. It's just a genetic thing. Some run high, some run low. It's normal.
  • GlitterrMagpie
    GlitterrMagpie Posts: 302 Member
    I regularly hit 196 when I'm jogging or working out. It's normal for me, everyone is different. For there to be an average it follows that some people are on the low end of the scale and some on the high
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,329 Member
    it could just be something with the HRM.

    i notice that mine seems to get really crazy when it has to deal with big changes in heart rates. it's ok with gradual increases but when it's something like going from walking to running or walking to sprinting it either jumps to a figure too high or goes to 00. like thursday i was doing run walk drills and my HRM had me going from122 BPM to 202 BPM after a few meters and then it eventually went to 145 after 100 m. i can assure you that my heart rate wasnt 202 at any point :laugh:


    come to think of it that could also mean it's time to change battery
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    I did have a high heart rate problem that I now take medicine for. I did have symptoms, but I never thought of calling 911. But I felt weak and strangely sweaty and my usual workouts would get me very tired during. It felt a little like if you were starting to get the flu. Anyway, I did need meds and I was stunned at how high my rate was. So it is a good thing to pay attention to and yes, ask your doc about! If it's just strenuous exercise, he'll say that, believe me :)
  • metalloz
    metalloz Posts: 77 Member
    I also get these high rates at the gym using the equipment (yes I know they are inaccurate).

    I get really dizzy and out of breath if the heart rate stays in the 180's for more than a few minutes. I have given the watch to my brother to wear whilst exercising to see if he gets odd readings.

    If the HRM was close to being accurate, would the calorie burn be a good approximation?
  • jigsaw_me
    jigsaw_me Posts: 616 Member
    I get really dizzy and out of breath if the heart rate stays in the 180's for more than a few minutes. I have given the watch to my brother to wear whilst exercising to see if he gets odd readings.

    Please see a doctor.

    You see, I had this friend Peter - he used to get very odd readings from his HRM - on the low side (ie never went above 39 even if he was working the cross trainer REALLY hard for 45mins).

    He initially thought the HRM was inaccurate, but decided it was worth getting it checked out anyway - long story short - 6 months later he had a pacemaker fitted (he was 42y.o.).

    Unfortunately, it didn't work out for him in the long run and he passed away 2 years later.

    So why I don't want to scare anyone or be alarmist - if it was me, I would get it checked out.
  • WalkingAlong
    WalkingAlong Posts: 4,926 Member
    I also get these high rates at the gym using the equipment (yes I know they are inaccurate).

    I get really dizzy and out of breath if the heart rate stays in the 180's for more than a few minutes. I have given the watch to my brother to wear whilst exercising to see if he gets odd readings.

    If the HRM was close to being accurate, would the calorie burn be a good approximation?

    If your high HR was due to something besides normal exertion, I don't think the calorie count would be that accurate. But if the HR isn't like off the charts high, it's probably close enough.

    Google 'perceived exertion' and see if how you feel at high HRs is how most people feel. It's not usually pleasant, but I don't think dizziness is normal, either.
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    How do you FEEL at those heart rates? If you feel fine, there's probably no reason to be concerned, but you can talk to a doctor about it just to be sure. The standard HR formula for max HR (220-age) only works for ~50% of the population- many people have naturally higher max HRs and they're perfectly healthy.

    ETA: I just saw your follow up post about feeling dizzy. Talk to a doctor, and make sure that you're eating enough- same symptoms can come from exertion if you're undereating. Looks like yesterday you had a net calorie count around 800- I would get dizzy from exercise with that few calories, too.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Yeah, feeling light headed while undereating and sprinting isn't exactly newsflash material, but honestly, go see a doctor if you're worried about it and it's preventing you from concentrating on your activity.

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