One of the things that you may have heard many people talk about in relation to exercise is heart rate. Heart rate is how many times your heart beats in a given minute or in more technical terms, how many times your heart contracts in a given minute.
An average heart rate is the average of the heart rate measured throughout an exercise period. A recovery heart rate is the rate to which your body decreases to when you are done exercising.
This is usually taken about two minutes after you cease exercising. The recovery indicates how fit you are after you exercise.
It is a good idea to compare these various heart rates to the same measurements taken on other exercise sessions over time so that you can see your improvement. Another measurement you may want to take is your resting heart rate.
This measurement is the number of times your heart beats in a given minute when you are completely relaxed or in rest position. This measurement also indicates how fit you are.
The lower your heart rate, the better because it indicates that your body is more in shape. When your heart does not have to work very hard to produce the same amount of blood to your body, the more in shape you are.
A morning resting heart rate is a pulse that you take right after you wake up in the morning. This time of the day is when you are most relaxed and at ease.
Simply count your pulse for 15 seconds and then multiply it by four. If you have a monitor you may want to take this measurement while you are sleeping to see what the difference is.
Of course, your measurements will be abnormally high if you really have to use the bathroom in the morning, you did not sleep well, or if you have a lot of stress pressuring you right now.
For the best accuracy, take these measurements during five consecutive days and then find the average. The average is the best indication of what your heart rate really is.
As you have heard people talking, you have probably heard them talk about the maximum heart rate. The max HR is the hardest your heart can work in one minute.
If you know where your max HR is, you will be able to more accurately determine how hard you should work during a given exercise session. A trainer can help you accurately measure and predict your personal max HR.
This measure is taken through three different ways. The first thing you can do is take an exercise test and have it measured for you.
The second thing you can do is use age-predicted maximum heart rate formulas. Of course this method will not produce results that are individualized to you, but it will get close enough.
The last method is that you can simply measure your max HR. The easiest method to determine your personal max HR is to take an exercise test.
When you take an exercise test, you will go to your doctor's clinic and run on a treadmill for a while. This test through which you run on the treadmill is known as stress testing.
It is usually performed by a cardiologist or an exercise physiologist. However, if you are averse to running on treadmills for some reason, you can take the same test on a track with a person who knows how to run the test.
Most doctors recommend getting this test if you are over 35, overweight, and have not been exercising. It is also a good idea if you have a family history of heart disease.
For the age-predicted formula, it is different depending on whether you are a man or a woman. Women tend to have higher max HR's than men do.
For women, the formula is 226 minus your age. For men, the formula is 220 minus your age.
These formulas are different for teenagers or children. In addition, there is generally an error range of ten to fifteen beats per minute.
It is definitely a better idea to actually get tested to find out what your max HR is. Your heart rate reserve is the difference between your Maximum Heart Rate and your Resting Heart Rate.
It is how many beats per minute you have to work with. This will change as you become more in shape and continue to work out.
Author Resource:-
Ronald Pedactor has worked in the exercise and health industry for 31 years. When searching for a good deal on exercise equipment he suggests getting someone knowledgeable to treadmill comparisons, and tell you their qualities.
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