Question on high heartrate.

[Lora]

Hi Cathe,
I sent this last night but didn't state it in a question and haven't gotten any response so I will try again. Hope this is an acceptable thing to do.
I have done Step Heat about 4 times now and almost have it down. I tinked my knee with it yesterday but it doesn't hurt enough to stop me. Just can tell I did something to it that it didn't
like. It was the lateral diagonal move (in the second half)starting with the heel tap, over and ending with the jack. It's so much fun that I'm not going to let that stop me. Just have to be more careful next time.
MY QUESTION IS ABOUT HIGH HEARTRATE.
I've always had this problem, even when I was in my 20's, now I'm 48. If I workout at the intensity that I like my heart rate is always too high. 28-30 per 10 seconds. But if I slow it down I feel like I'm not doing anything. I don't even break into a sweat. My resting heartrate is 60 over 100. I have had a treadmill test about a year ago and they said everything looked just fine. Do you think I should slow down though? I do want to loose about 10 more pounds of fat so do you think slowing down and gradually increasing keeping my heartrate in the right zone would help me do that better?

I'm enjoying reading your forums. I think I'll add my two sence with the weekly check-ins. I have many questions but this one is my most pressing. I discovered I've gained 10# and need some motivation to stay on track with exercise and possibly diet. Maybe this will help me.

You are located in N.J. aren't you? We just sent our eldest son off to the Coast Guard Bootcamp in Cape May. How is the weather over there?
Thanks for your advise. Lora

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Lora!

So nice to hear from you. Please don't be offended if I happen to leave a question unanswered. I don't do it deliberately. I just try to answer whatever I can in the time that I have available

! Oh, by the way, the weather here was unusually warm up to about a week ago and then just suddenly kicked into high gear. I hope your son has packed his thermals

!

I hope your knee is feeling better. You are wise to rest it a bit and then go back with a more cautious attempt.

As far as your question concerning a high exercise heart rate goes, I would rather see you use a perceived exertion test and/or talk test. For instance, if you are able to say short sentences without hyperventilating while you are working out, you are in a safe working range. You are fine (and even encouraged to be) breathing comfortably hard. However, what you want to avoid is labored breathing to the point where you are feeling dizzy, short of breath, or faint.

The fact that you said that you have had this high heart rate reading since your 20's and that even after a treadmill stress test your were cleared as functioning just fine, is another notch in confirming many beliefs that heart rate charts are just not totally reliable sources for measuring exercise intensity. These charts are only accurate within plus or minus 12 beats per minute for most people.

My personal feeling is that if an individual is healthy and has no limitations to exercise, the perceived exertion method and/or talk test is an excellent and preferable method of measuring exercise intensity. It is the method that I truly recommend. It reinforces my belief of always "listening to ones body".

 

[Lora]

My heartrate

Thank you for answering my question. I have had it for so many years and have ask numerous other people with no reply. It does make a person alittle nervious at times. So thanks for releaving that anxiety.

I'm just about ready to sit down and order some of your videos. I haven't quite decided which ones because so many look great. I told my husband I'd like about 4 or 5 of them for Christmas.

Thanks again. Lora

PS I wasn't upset because you didn't reply right away. It amazes me that you even do it. I guess that is one reason why you have such devoted fans.

 

[lynxeagle]

Heartrate

I have had that same question for so long. When I work out at the appropriate heart rate, I don't feel like I am working out. I am always in a higher zone. Thanks so much for that info!!!!!!
Jackie