Q: Is it a problem if, when I am running (a slow 11- to 12-minute mile), I cannot keep my heart rate in the 60-80 percent range? That would be 101-134 beats per minute; mine gets over 150. I am 52, have been exercising for years and consider myself fit (normal weight, low cholesterol, etc.). A treadmill test two years ago showed some minor anomalies but my doctor says the test was normal.
– Joan, Denver
A: For decades, the standard formula for figuring out your maximum heart rate (the maximum number of beats per minute (bpm), your heart should beat according to your age) was simply to take 220 (the presumed maximum number of beats the average person’s heart can handle for one minute) minus your age. This formula was only intended as a guide but we can presume your maximum at about 168 bpm.
Because the heart is a muscle, it needs to be exercised at 55 to 80 percent of its maximum in order for you to be fit. One way to check your heart’s fitness is to observe how quickly it recovers after an aerobic workout of at least 20 minutes or more.
There is a simple test you can do to get a feel for actual fitness level. After about 20 minutes of your aerobic exercise session, stop and immediately take your pulse. Recheck your pulse again after one minute. Subtract the second number from the first to see how quickly your beats per minute drop toward your resting heart rate. (To find this number, take your pulse first thing in the morning.) The quicker it falls, the stronger and better trained the heart muscle.
Regarding your treadmill test, Denver cardiologist Dr. John Hutcherson noted that a treadmill test that shows abnormalities, while not “normal,” is not necessarily life-threatening. There could be many variables at play such as blood pressure, medications you may be on, and who conducted and read the results of your treadmill test. Hutcherson suggests seeing a cardiologist again and wearing a special heart monitor for 24 hours to record your heart rhythms. Then retake the treadmill test just to be sure that you can push harder during your workouts.
As author Barbara Lyons once remarked, “If we keep doin’ what we’ve always done, we’ll keep getting’ what we always got.” Try changing one or more aspects of what is called “The FITT Principle” and see if your heart rate improves:
Frequency: Add another day or two of exercise to your weekly schedule.
Intensity: Increase your speed, add some wind sprints, and work out on more hills/inclines.
Time: Start adding an additional five to 10 minutes to your workouts.
Type: Change your exercise choices from running to some bicycling, or add an aerobics class to your workout week.
By changing your workout, and adding some different challenges, you should start to see positive changes in your exercising heart rate.
Linda Buch, ACE-certified exercise specialist, will respond to fitness questions only in her weekly column. Send questions to Body Language, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202 or e-mail her at LJBalance@aol.com.
