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Hello Ray and peoples new and old

its been awhile but i never left, just got busy and still read to catch up. I do have a question now though for you because I am trying to get fitter.

What is the highest you can get your hear rate up to with out fear of keeling over?

I use a treadmill and if I run(which I can do now yippee...but only for short spurts) anyhow my heart rate monitor on my treadmill says I am 180ish at times. Some times it went to 200 but then I realized it does that no matter what speed I do then it settles at my real heart rate a few seconds later.

Also

When a person feels like they are gasping for air and their lungs cant expand any more, will that get better with fitness. I am still finding that sensation when I climb hills or steps. It is embarrassing because our council offices for example are up some stairs as is my kids admin office at school and by the time i get to the office i am puffed and cant speak. will this get better with fitness? I guess the answer is obvious but I live in a fairy land that thinks its only me that this happens to and it must means I am stuck with it for life.

 All the best every one

Melanie 

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I’ve been told the maximum is 220 minus your age.

 

So if you are a 47 year old grumpy petanque player 220-47 = 173 beats per minute maximum.

 

It was suggested to me that to achieve an increase in fitness you need to be at least 60% of your maximum eg 173x0.6 = 106

 

As you get fitter you should aim to have a higher heart rate for a longer period.

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the 220 minus your age is a good start for max heart rate, it will change a little with fitness, and your general health ( tired , overtrained etc,, )

Agree that most of your training should be done in the 60-70% area, it teaches your body to be aerobically efficient, allows you lots of exercise without making you too worn out

to start with 70-80% should be done conservatively as intervals, ie 30 secs hard, 2 mins moderate, down the track you can do tempo runs etc, but thats down the track

anything above 80%, unless training for an anerobic event ( sprinting, hill climbing  ) is fairly counterproductive as it just wears you out

so if the stairs have you at in the 70-80% mark, call them your interval training 

 

hi melanie,

just a quick response - if you are aiming to burn fat (and not burn yourself out!!) the suggested area of heart rate is around 120-140 bpm.

cheers!

ps welcome back ;)

fantastic replies guys

I think I was over doing it which was counter productive and exhausting me ie dizzy, lungs feeling stretched beyond limit.

now that it is all explained in terms I can understand I can comprehend whats going on and change my routine.

Thank you

 

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Would it be worth taking you pulse to confirm the treadmill HR is accurate?

 

You wouldn’t need to be running while you do it.

 

180 seems high

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