Workout addicts please help! I'm a little worried.

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Leisa42
Leisa42 Posts: 56 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Going to the Dr. is expensive, so if I can get your opinions, I would appreciate it. I am new to working out and just want to know if this is normal, ok, ro if I need to see a dr. before continueing. First I will tell you I am 41, 5'2 and 218 lbs. I am in fairly good health except for hypertension which I control with meds. (And of course too fat) but here's my problem.......When I work out, I start with the good ole treadmill. It says my target heart rate is 116. After about 5 min I reach that then hit about 120-125. The machine slows my pace to lower my heart rate, but.. It keeps climbing. I will hit the cool down button, and sometimes it goes even higher like 150-160 before it start to fall. OK then sometimes, everythig goes normal and my heart rate will drop and the machine will have to speed up to keep me at 116. Usually when it does this, my HR is all over the place, like 110 up to 120 then down to99 then up to 119 ect.. and my speed is not changing when this happens. I stop when this happens to me, but it depresses me terribly. One night I even cried. I love working out and want to be able to safely. But u think this is normal? Please only serious responses, this is my life here. Thank you for your time.

Replies

  • dbsav
    dbsav Posts: 24 Member
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    Could it be the machine? I run a lot and my heart rate starts out in the 120s and gradually climbs to the 160s. There is little fluctuation but then again, I pretty much maintain the same speed throughout. I wouldn't recommend holding off on a visit to the doctor. I am in my 40s too and at this age, you don't want to mess around with cardio. I'm sure you are fine but a professional opinion would put your mind at ease.
    Best,
    Dave
  • nkziv
    nkziv Posts: 161 Member
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    mine gets up to 185 or 190 every time i work out, and it's the same for a lot of other girls I know. It's normal. push yourself. if you're not having chest pains, don't worry about it, and adjust your target HR on the machine so it will stop telling you to slow down. that's my 2 cents!
  • chicklidell
    chicklidell Posts: 275
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    Buy an HRM and ditch the machine readings...most of the time, they're no where near accurate.
  • MoonShadow_1au
    MoonShadow_1au Posts: 149 Member
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    I have circulation issues where the machine tells me i died and have no pulse. There is another machine that registered my heart rate at 50% of my HRM so I would hate to have that machine trying to make me work.

    For this reason I use the machine on a program that is NOT driven by my heart rate. Your body will be able to tell you when you are working hard, and if it is too much manually reduce the effort. Over time you will know what your limits are.
  • deekaydee
    deekaydee Posts: 158 Member
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    I hit 175-180 when I run. It sounds like you are selecting the setting on the treadmill that adjusts your pace to keep your heart rate in the target zone. That may not be the best setting to use. Perhaps try to use the "Manual" setting or something like that where you can increase speed & incline as you feel comfortable.
  • vlibin
    vlibin Posts: 2 Member
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    Most machines do not read heart rates accurately and they tend to have you at too low a rate claiming it is in the fat burn zone. There is no such thing as the fat burn zone. The higher the intensity the more calories you will burn. Invest in a heart rate monitor with a strap that goes across your chest. I like Polar ones. Then figure out what your maximum heart rate is which is 220 minus your age. You then want to exercise at about 70% of that. To increase your cardiovascular health, you should also try intervals where you go to your 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate for 30 seconds to 60 seconds and then recover repeating this 10 times.

    Here is a calculator to figure out your maximum heart rate http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/target-heart-rate/SM00083

    When I started working out 1 year ago, I was 186 lbs and your hight and would routinely get my heart rate up to 175 to 180. Unless you have heart disease it should not be a problem.
  • Stevebone42
    Stevebone42 Posts: 21
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    I agree with others here, the machines aren't always accurate. You really should go see a doctor If you have any concerns and it's not a financial burden. Better safe than sorry.
  • luhluhlaura
    luhluhlaura Posts: 278 Member
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    I'd recommend buying your own heart rate monitor. I agree that the ones on machines, AND the guidelines for "fat burning" zones are not completely accurate.
    Also, I think it's important to just be aware of how you feel. Are you having chest pains, tightness, palpitations or difficulty breathing? Then there may something wrong. But if you get a good sweat going, find your pace (whether it's a fast walk, a slow jog, a run), and feel your lungs and heart working hard but not hurting in any way, then it's probably all good. :) If you feel fine going faster, ditch the treadmill's HRM and just go manual.

    But it's better safe than sorry--better check with your doctor.
  • keldawm
    keldawm Posts: 35 Member
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    You need a HRM. I never go by the machine readings. When I run my HR will go to @ 190, but averages @ 170.
  • sailorsiren13
    sailorsiren13 Posts: 460
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    i workout and my heart rate skyrockets at the gym i can go straight to the dr. from the gym and they won't believe me so i really think that you should get a hrm they are awesome and consult your dr if you can they may want to do a stress test on you.

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