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With Valentine's Day just around the corner, I thought we should talk about your most romantic body part: the heart. It is a small but powerful muscle that gets a lot of attention.
To get the most out of your workout, you should frequently monitor your exercise intensity. This will ensure you are working within you heart-rate training zone and are getting the most out of each workout. If you work too hard, you're likely to burn out. If you're not working hard enough, you may get frustrated when you don't see results.
The two most common ways to find your pulse without electronics are on the neck (carotid artery) or inside the wrist on the side of the thumb (radial artery). Try these:
To get the most out of your workout, you should frequently monitor your exercise intensity. This will ensure you are working within you heart-rate training zone and are getting the most out of each workout. If you work too hard, you're likely to burn out. If you're not working hard enough, you may get frustrated when you don't see results.
The two most common ways to find your pulse without electronics are on the neck (carotid artery) or inside the wrist on the side of the thumb (radial artery). Try these:
1. Place your index and middle fingers directly under your ear, then slide your fingers down until they are directly under your jawbone, pressing lightly.
2. Place your index and middle fingers over the outside of your opposite wrist, just below the base of your thumb.
Of course, there are other, more accurate ways to find your pulse when you are working out. For years, people have used heart-rate monitors that you strap around your chest and wear a receiver on your wrist. Fortunately, technology has advanced so the chest strap is unnecessary. You want to be comfortable and have full range of motion when you are sweating.
I have a wristwatch that measures my pulse when I place my fingertips on two small pads. You can get one for about $50.
Sierra Athletic Club owner "Average" Joe has posted several target heart rate charts in his gym. These give you a good idea of where your intensity of work should be according to your age.
Also, a quick way to figure out your maximum heart rate (MHR) is to use the following calculation: 220 minus your age = MHR.
To get a more accurate picture of your baseline, I ask my clients to find their resting heart rate (RHR). If you have a 40-year-old triathlete and sedentary 40-year-old, obviously their RHR needs to be calculated related to their current level of fitness.
Also, certain medications can affect heart rate, so check with your doctor about monitoring exercise intensity if you fall into this category.
When resting, the average adult human heart beats at about 70 beats per minute for men and 75 bpm for women; however, this rate varies among people and can be significantly lower in athletes.
2. Place your index and middle fingers over the outside of your opposite wrist, just below the base of your thumb.
Of course, there are other, more accurate ways to find your pulse when you are working out. For years, people have used heart-rate monitors that you strap around your chest and wear a receiver on your wrist. Fortunately, technology has advanced so the chest strap is unnecessary. You want to be comfortable and have full range of motion when you are sweating.
I have a wristwatch that measures my pulse when I place my fingertips on two small pads. You can get one for about $50.
Sierra Athletic Club owner "Average" Joe has posted several target heart rate charts in his gym. These give you a good idea of where your intensity of work should be according to your age.
Also, a quick way to figure out your maximum heart rate (MHR) is to use the following calculation: 220 minus your age = MHR.
To get a more accurate picture of your baseline, I ask my clients to find their resting heart rate (RHR). If you have a 40-year-old triathlete and sedentary 40-year-old, obviously their RHR needs to be calculated related to their current level of fitness.
Also, certain medications can affect heart rate, so check with your doctor about monitoring exercise intensity if you fall into this category.
When resting, the average adult human heart beats at about 70 beats per minute for men and 75 bpm for women; however, this rate varies among people and can be significantly lower in athletes.
Help Me Rhonda
Rhonda Beckham is owner of Help Me Rhonda and Perfect Pilates, a Pilates instructor at Lake Tahoe Community College and Sierra Athletic Club, as well as a personal trainer operating out of Sierra Athletic Club and the Tahoe Keys Marina Fitness Studio. She may be reached at (530) 208-6369, www.TahoeTrainer.com and rhonda@tahoetrainer.com.
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To find your RHR, before you get out of bed in the morning, take your pulse for one full minute, counting each heartbeat to find your beats per minute. For a more accurate measurement, take your pulse for three mornings to get an average.
Your target heart rate (THR), or training heart rate, is a range of heart rate reached during aerobic exercise. To simplify, when you are exercising, your intensity should stay between 65 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range varies based on one's physical condition, age and previous training. Get your most accurate target heart rate by using the Karvonen formula. What follows is an example for a 23-year-old person with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute:
220 minus 23 (age) = 197 (maximum heart rate)
197 minus 65 (resting heart rate) = 132
132 multiplied by 65 percent (low end of heart rate) or 85 percent (high end) = 85.8 or 112.2
85.8 plus 65 (RHR) = 150
112.2 plus 65 (RHR) = 177
So, the target heart rate zone for this person would be 150 to 177 bpm.
The average human heart beating at 72 bpm will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during a lifetime of 66 years. Take proper care of one of your most valuable assets by not smoking, getting adequate exercise and eating low-fat, healthy foods.
- Rhonda Beckham is a nationally certified personal trainer, with teaching certificates in Pilates and kickboxing.
Your target heart rate (THR), or training heart rate, is a range of heart rate reached during aerobic exercise. To simplify, when you are exercising, your intensity should stay between 65 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range varies based on one's physical condition, age and previous training. Get your most accurate target heart rate by using the Karvonen formula. What follows is an example for a 23-year-old person with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute:
220 minus 23 (age) = 197 (maximum heart rate)
197 minus 65 (resting heart rate) = 132
132 multiplied by 65 percent (low end of heart rate) or 85 percent (high end) = 85.8 or 112.2
85.8 plus 65 (RHR) = 150
112.2 plus 65 (RHR) = 177
So, the target heart rate zone for this person would be 150 to 177 bpm.
The average human heart beating at 72 bpm will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during a lifetime of 66 years. Take proper care of one of your most valuable assets by not smoking, getting adequate exercise and eating low-fat, healthy foods.
- Rhonda Beckham is a nationally certified personal trainer, with teaching certificates in Pilates and kickboxing.
Heart lecture
Dr. Paula Crenshaw will give a "Women's Heart Health" lecture at Barton University from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 4. For more information, call (530) 543-5537.
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