I just bought a new heart rate monitor and set it according to what the directions said. The problem is that I was supposed to stay within 70-80% for my ideal training and the whole time I was running it was showing 100-120% heart rate. Even when I was just walking to warm up it was showing between 80-90%. I’m wondering if I figured out the heart rate wrong. It said to take 220 and subtract your age and from there figure out the percentages. I know the numbers I got for the percentages are correct based on the 220- my age, but something is definitely off. Can anyone help?
* I’m not in perfect shape, but can easily run 5 miles at a fair 10 mph pace
*The day I tried my monitor it was 95 degrees in full sun, but I did stop twice on my 4.5 mile run and grabbed 24 oz. bottle of water to drink and pour on myself for cooling.

I’m looking for a fitness watch and i’m not sure where to start looking. I don’t have any background knowledge on these but i do find these watches can be useful from what i hear. I’m looking for something thats capable of tracking/recording running pace/distance with a GPS, a calorie counter, heart rate monitor, and perhaps something that can keep track of all this for other sports (basketball, football) and workouts (lifting). I know its standard now to have watch with GPS for runners but i’m also interested to see if a watch can do the same with other sports and physical activities. I’ve seen the Garmin offers a wide range of watches (The Forerunner series) but i just wanted to know if anyone knows of one in particular of any brand that can do all that i list above.

If I’m being completely honest, I am out of shape. I’m probably 30-40 pounds overweight and I get a bit winded walking up a flight of stairs. However, I could hop on a stationary bike or elliptical machine right now and do a 30-40 minute work out at a relatively decent pace and I wouldn’t feel totally wasted for the rest of the day. I know this because I do it from time to time.

I have two questions:
1. Do you have any advice for staying motivated to exercise? I can get started and go strong for a week or two, but then I’ll have a busy couple of days that keep me from exercising and my motivation is gone – usually for months at a time.

2. What’s the best way to exercise on a stationary bike or elliptical machine to improve cardio fitness? One of main things I would like to accomplish in the short term is being able to climb stairs without becoming winded. Dropping weight is obviously a long term goal, but it’s not my most immediate concern.

For what it’s worth, when I say I get winded after climbing stairs, I don’t mean that I actually have to sit down and rest or that I’m worn out for the day. I just mean that I am a little out of breath and it takes me a few minutes to return to a resting rate.

I’m 36. When I do work out on a bike or elliptical for 30 minutes or so, my heart rate is normally around 150 bpm. My resting heart rate is about 80 bpm.

I had a bad foot injury due to the ice from running in the winter.. and I haven’t done ANY exercise since, and I just started yesterday. Surprisingly, I could do 5 miles at a good pace (about at the pace I actually usually run in), and I could do 8 miles fast today.. weird. I actually felt a LOT better and faster in my runs than in the winter (it is about 55 degrees now, compared to 30 degrees in the winter), and I was supposed to get out of shape.

How did I run those miles and why did I not feel out of shape? I used a heart rate monitor thing on my watch, it used to be 45-55 bpm in the winter, and supposedly i’m out of shape according to my heart, since my heart rate is now 60-70 bpm.. yikes
And I would actually be fatigued from running in the winter 95% of the time.. weird

1. There are three important benefits to the warm up session: (1 point)
Flexibility is increased, the muscle is pushed to its full potential, and the chance of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of blood in the extremities is reduced
Aids in the dissipation of waste products, reduces the potential for Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness, and increases the heart rate gradually
Flexibility is increased, the chance of dizziness or fainting caused by the pooling of blood in the extremities is reduced, and the heart rate is gradually increased
The heart rate is gradually increased from the resting pulse, the temperature within the muscles is increased, and the chance of muscle soreness and injury is reduced
2. A _____________helps your body prepare itself for exercise, both mentally and physically, and reduces the chance of injury. (1 point)

3. During the ______________ you should gradually decrease the pace of exercise until your pulse rate lowers to at least 120 beats per minute. (1 point)

4. Your cool down session should include: (1 point)
5 to 10 minutes jogging/walking or 5 to 10 minutes of static stretching exercises
At least 20 minutes of light activity
Floor work: sit ups, push ups and stretching exercises
10 minutes of walking and crunches
5. Select the statement below that correctly outlines the steps required to perform a chest stretch. (1 point)
Stand tall, your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your knees locked. Hold your arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms of your hands facing forward. Stretch your arms back as far as possible.
Stand tall, your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent. Hold your arms out in front of you, parallel with the ground and the palms of your hands facing forward. Stretch your arms back as far as possible.
Stand tall, your feet together, your knees locked. Hold your arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms of your hands facing forward. Stretch your arms up as far as possible.
Stand tall, your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent. Hold your arms out to the side parallel with the ground and the palms of your hands facing forward. Stretch your arms back as far as possible.
6. The goal of _____________________ as part of the cool down is to relax the muscles and improve their maximum range of motion. (1 point)
Easy breathing techniques
Static stretching
Light activity
Posing
7. What part of the body is being stretched if you follow these steps?
Stand tall, your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent. Hold your arms out to the side parallel with the ground, and the palms of your hands facing forward. Rotate your hands so the palms face to the rear. Stretch your arms back as far as possible. (1 point)
Chest and biceps
Hips and buttocks
Shoulders and upper back
Triceps and shoulders
8. The entire cool down process should: (1 point)
Last between 5 and 10 minutes
Last between 10 and 15 minutes
Allow the heart to gradually increase in rate
Allow muscles to gradually increase in temperature
9. Which of the following statements is not true when planning an exercise program? (1 point)
Choose an activity you enjoy
Tailor your program to your own fitness level
Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see immediate results
When you first get started, do not allow for rest days in your exercise schedule
10. The __________can be a combination of rhythmic exercises or a slower version of the aerobic activity you plan doing. (1 point)
Cool down
Warm up
Exercise program
Cardiovascular training

Hello, I used to be extremely athletic and have a resting heart rate of 52 even though I’ve been much less active of late. In the last months I’ve been jogging, swimming and doing intensive dance each about once a week. I just bought a heart monitor and found that, while running my rate went easily up to and past 180! whereas i’m not fast at all. (not efficient) in swimming i am really a good swimmer so even when i go at a good pace my heart rate never rises all that high. stays around 130-140 range, i think. for my age i saw that my maximum Heartrate, if I am ‘fit’ (not sure if i qualify or not) should be 187 and that i should aim for a maximum of 160 or 165, and a low of 125, but i then read that sometimes these heartrates varied widely from person to person even amongst professional athletes in their 20s.

Anyone have any knowledge in this?
Just want to be fit and do my best.
thank you!
I’m 47, 115 pounds (just lost 8 pounds!) and 5 foot 3

Hello, I used to be extremely athletic and have a resting heart rate of 52 even though I’ve been much less active of late. In the last months I’ve been jogging, swimming and doing intensive dance each about once a week. I just bought a heart monitor and found that, while running my rate went easily up to and past 180! whereas i’m not fast at all. (not efficient) in swimming i am really a good swimmer so even when i go at a good pace my heart rate never rises all that high. stays around 130-140 range, i think. for my age i saw that my maximum Heartrate, if I am ‘fit’ (not sure if i qualify or not) should be 187 and that i should aim for a maximum of 160 or 165, and a low of 125, but i then read that sometimes these heartrates varied widely from person to person even amongst professional athletes in their 20s.

Anyone have any knowledge in this?
Just want to be fit and do my best.
thank you!
I’m 47, 115 pounds (just lost 8 pounds!) and 5 foot 3

I need to buy a GPS running watch, it has to be timex, so don’t recommend a different brand. I run cross country, so I need a watch that will tell me distance, pace, and time. (I don’t really care about heart rate) I was wondering if anyone can recommend a watch OTHER THAN THE GLOBAL TRAINER. Also, do you have to use a clip on thing for the distance to work? Will it work if I don’t wear the heart rate monitor?

Thanks
best answer will be chosen

I got a stress test done about a year ago because I was having problems running. When I was younger I was diagnosed with sports induced asthma and put on an inhaler. When I asked my new doctor to write a prescription for an inhaler he hooked me up to an EKG, and a daily heart monitor for 1 week. When I did my stress test my heart rate was over 200 and I was walking uphill. I was fine, no pain. When I run I get a sharp pain along with a lot of pressure at my sternum, I cough a lot and I have a burning sensation while breathing. I need to breathe through my mouth because I become short of breath. This is the kicker, this happens only after about 2 minutes of jogging at a 9minute mi pace. Now as of now I am not really in shape per se I mean i’m a tiny thing but I haven’t worked out in about 3 months. But when I did my stress test I was training for a .5 marathon I was runnin 5 mi a day. What is wrong with me? Anyone have any answers?
Hi guys thank you so much for your help. I should add that my doctor did say that I had arrythmia but he didn’t say anything else, about how to take care of it or what I should do and he didn’t seem so sure that was it. Also, last night after drinking only 2 beers I almost passed out from palpatations over 100 bpm, I was dizzy, and sick feeling but totally sober…ok thanks again

I just started exercising regularly a few weeks ago. Before I would play pick-up games of basketball anywhere from once to five times a week, but around the end of October I made some changes in my eating habits and started walking/running (alternating between laps) on a treadmill, usually 3-4 times a week. This is in addition to basketball.

Physically, I feel fine, I never have any dizziness or anything, if I can’t keep the pace up I slow it down. I just want to know what my heart rate should be around. I’m 6’4" and ~300 pounds. When I run, it’s on 7.5-8, when I walk, it’s at 3.5. My heart rate when running the other day was right around 165, I just want to make sure that’s not overdoing it. I see a lot of conflicting info on the web so I’m hoping someone can either respond with valid information or point me to a reputable source that will take things like age/body type/fitness type into consideration.

this is about serious training for endurance athletes
level four training is perfect for simultaneously monitoring the three variables of heart rate , pace , and perceived exertion. these workouts require you to tune in to the physiological cues that indicate the level of work at the threshould between aerobic and anaerobic effort.

I just started working out a couple weeks ago, and I’ve been running and on the treadmill that I use there’s a heart rate monitor that you place your hands on it and it reads your heart rate.

So, I’ve had my heart rate read many times, and my average resting heart rate is 90-95 bpm. My bp (relevant?) is on average 115/75.

So, now on to actually working out..I’ll be walking at a mediocre fast pace (actual speed is 3.7 mph) and my heart rate is 137 on average. That doesn’t worry me..However, what does worry me is that when I begin running for about two minutes (6.0 mph…or jogging? ha) I check my heart rate on the monitor and it says 185. I’m like WTF?!?!?!?! That’s way over what it’s supposed to be. It says on a chart on the treadmill that while doing cardioyour heart rate’s supposed to be about 160 and I’m far from cardio so this kind of scares me a bit. I haven’t yet checked it myself yet because I actually didn’t think of it at the time. I’ve checked my heart rate numerous times on the monitor while running and it always says about 180.

So what should I do here? Is it more likely that I have something seriously wrong with me or that the monitor is messing up?

Btw…I’m not exactly a super healthy person. I’m 16, 5’11, heavy bone structure, 210, muscle mass is normal I suppose not huge because I don’t usually work out…So yea what should be done about this?

Thanks!

Hi

I’m 22, so my maximum heart rate is ~198bpm.

I’ve been going to the gym for a little over a month, at least 3 times a week, and my fitness has really improved.

Today I jogged at a fair pace (at 7.5 on the treadmill) for 10 minutes, with a heart rate of 180bpm. I felt out of breath but not excessively, and only stopped because my legs were getting tired, it felt quite good actually. I then went on to the cross trainer for 20 minutes and the bike for 10 and worked out at about 160-170bpm. At this pace i can hold a conversation.

My question is, are these heart rates okay to be exercising at? I can’t seem to match myself up to the charts with all the target zones?

My resting pulse is ~70bpm and have no other health complaints.

I’m a 17 year old male that weighs 130 lbs in good shape, but trying to get in better shape as I wish to become a Navy Seal. Recently I got a gym membership at 24 hour fitness and began doing a fairly high intensity routine that was recomended to me to increase endurance for running swimming, and body weight excerices, which is what I understand is mostly done in the military. When I get on the treadmell I warm up then set the speed at 7.1 mph for a pace of a 8:30 second mile, which is what it says in the workout, but when I check my heartrate, it is constantly around 200, while two of my friends, in similar shape as me seem to be considerably lower. I feel perfectly fine and the majority of the run if pretty easy, except at the end I get rather tired, but feel perfectly fine. I was wondering this heart rate is too high or what might be causing it to be higher than other peoples? I have no cardiovascular problems, never had any problem with colesteral or bloodpreasure.

Erin Kummer, an elite triathlete and member of the Timex Multisport Team, demonstrates how to use the Timex Ironman Wireless Fitness Tracker and how this wellness device can help you train smarter. For more information about Timex Ironman training products, visit TimexIronman.com.

I just got done jogging 1 mile which took 9 min 13 sec and my heart rate was between 180 and 185 through-out the jog. Is this too high? It dropped to 150 after walking for 30 sec.

I’ve been working out for 2 months. I’m 32. I weigh 173lbs. I was190lbs 2 months ago. I’ve been jogging about 5 miles a week and have been weight training about 3 hours a week. 2 days off each week.

My goal is to run 1 mile in under 7 min 20 sec. That’s what I was able to do 4 years ago and haven’t been working out much until 2 months ago. I jog twice a week between 2 and 3 miles. 3 miles usually takes me under 30 min. I don’t seem to be improving but now my heart rate is a concern. I just got the heart rate monitor. Thanks!!!!
According to charts I’ve found online I should be between 120 and 160 bpm. How am I supposed to improve my time if I can’t run 1 mile in less than 9 min under 185 bpm??
Thank you for your answer. I just got done jogging a 2nd mile and I tried to stay at 165 bpm but ended up at 175 which resulted in a time of 10 min 28 sec. Seems heart rate is directly related to speed. I felt like I was running slower than I could walk. I start to feel bad when my pace is less than 7min/mile. My will may be stronger than my heart. I better start stepping it back. Thanks for your answer!!

I tried tightening it and it helps a little but the strap still falls to the level that it doesn’t get a reading. The strap works fine for bike riding and walking. I really want to use it for high pace running so I can keep track of my speed vs heart rate. Any ideas? Thanks!

So how do i know if I have gone over 140 bpm? I run about 5 times a week and since I am in ROTC we have a new PT program where we do a lot of sprints. I am guessing that I should not sprint and I should just keep running at my pace which is usually a 17 min two miles. Does that sound right? I am also 26 5’1 and 122 lbs I have a healthy diet and am not a smoker and was never a drinker. Should I be ok?

Hi. I’m a 34yr old male who has always been active and fit, classic ectomorph. I recently purchased a heart rate monitor for training purposes and my beats per minute after a tempo run makes me wonder if I could be over doing it, or if I’m just very fit and on the right track. I’m on a 16 week 1/2 marathon program from runners world that includes running three times a week; easy, speed, long. When I do my tempo runs I really push myself to achieve the stated goals. My effort level would be about an 8 out of 10, Yes/No questions I could answer, no conversation. After the run I feel euphoric and great, and within a minute or so my heart rate is back to a normal level. Then next day I feel fine. My resting pulse is around 44 beats per minute (bpm). My goal is to eventually qualify for the Boston marathon.

Thanks for any input.

Here are my mile splits from the last run.
Mile Minutes Avg bpm Max bpm
1 00:07:10 174 183
2 00:07:13 185 190
3 00:07:16 191 192
4 00:07:11 195 198
Summary 00:28:50 186 198
comfortably finished my 1st marathon in a 9:15 pace a few years ago. Could easily cover 13.1m in a 8:30 pace today. Goal is to get faster without causing damage.

I am female, 32, 5’6", 150lbs, low blood pressure, good overall health, pretty healthy family, non-smoker, non-drinker, happily married mother of two.

For as long as I can remember I haven’t been a good runner, always tiring just a short distance into a run, but I really enjoyed those three or four minutes of running. As an adult I decided that if I just started running a little further every day (or every other day) that I could eventually work my way up to a mile, three miles, six miles…10k! But no, no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t get past a half mile.

Finally I asked my ob about it during an annual exam, she asked what my heart rate was…I had no idea. She said this is important so I went right out and got a Polar heart monitor and was alarmed to find my heart rate skyrocket past 190 bpm shortly into a workout. Using the information that came with the monitor, I found what is supposed to be a good "aerobic" heart rate (144-158).

Now, it is nearly impossible for me to stay in that zone while trying even the slowest of jogs (3mph). So I decided I would try to stay in the "Anaerobic Threshold" range of 158-168 bpm, thinking that I could lower my heart rate further once I could master keeping it in the higher range. Again, no. Here’s where I am today…

I start out at a slow jog, which for me is 4mph (I am comfortable at 5 or even 6mph, but alas, not do-able). I can run about 1/8 mile before heart rate reaches 160, so I slow down to 3.8 and keep slowing as heart rate climbs until I’m going about 3mph. Even at this pace my rate will keep climbing if I don’t stop to walk. During walking breaks I speed up to at least 3.5 mph.

I am on the treadmill 3 to 4 times a week, about an hour at a time. I ache for the feeling of going for a good run, not a rediculous shuffle/jog. There has got to be a better way to get my heart rate down, but I’ve found nothing so far.

Thank you for taking the time to read my life story…I would appreciate appropriate training links. And please don’t tell me that I have to resign myself to being a walker. I look forward to your replies. ~Tangerine

I got a stress test done about a year ago because I was having problems running. When I was younger I was diagnosed with sports induced asthma and put on an inhaler. When I asked my new doctor to write a prescription for an inhaler he hooked me up to an EKG, and a daily heart monitor for 1 week. When I did my stress test my heart rate was over 200 and I was walking uphill. I was fine, no pain. When I run I get a sharp pain along with a lot of pressure at my sternum, I cough a lot and I have a burning sensation while breathing. I need to breathe through my mouth because I become short of breath. This is the kicker, this happens only after about 2 minutes of jogging at a 9minute mi pace. Now as of now I am not really in shape per se I mean i’m a tiny thing but I haven’t worked out in about 3 months. But when I did my stress test I was training for a .5 marathon I was runnin 5 mi a day. What is wrong with me? Anyone have any answers?

Hi. I’m 26 years old and need to loose 40lbs. I started jogging to lose weight and increase cardio vascular endurance. I always felt my heart rate was much higher than it was supposed to be.

I began jogging on the tread mill. I can get my heart rate to 180 in a matter of minutes at 4.5 mph. It is somewhat physically tasking but not horribly intense.

Yesterday I bought a heart rate monitor as I want to constantly monitor my heart rate. I went to the gym with my friend – who just had a baby. She’s 40lbs heavier than I and has not been to the gym in a while. My heart rate was 30bpm than her – at the same pace. She also felt my heart rate was abnormally high.

Is this something I should be concerned about – or should see a decrease over time. The next time I see my doctor, I will bring it up but I wanted to hear other opinions. What are other means to lower it.

I do smoke (I know. Trying to quit) and I drink lots of coffee. I’m KNOW that doesn’t help. I’m considering quitting drinking coffee too.

I crosstrain (weights, running, biking, stepping, etc…). I use a heart rate monitor and here is something I’ve observed which I have no explanation for. During a 5k running race, from training and experience, into the beginning of my second mile I set a pace that keeps me just under my lactate threshold which I know to be 186 bpm. Now I’ve never cycled for real or gotten on one of those mountain bikes, but I do ride the bikes at the gym. Here is what is peculiar. Most bikes at the gym have level of intensity 1-20. After warmup I gradually ascend the intensity, at around level 16 my heart rate only reaches the 160s but I start to feel the lactic acid burn in my legs. I suspect part of this phenomenom is because different leg muscles are targeted in running vs. cycling, but my legs are significantly strong (can squat 315 and deadlift 405). Anyone aware why my LT is lower for cycling than for running?

I got a (good quality)HR monitor this week and i have started running with the intention of running a half marathon in April. Now im only doing what i would have considered light pace running but according to my HR monitor i am at 98-100% of my max HR when i do anything more than walk briskly!
Im 22, 5’11" and weight 160lbs/72kg so my BMI would suggest i am in good shape. Now i have had very little exercise in the last few years in college and have done my fair share of drinking so im not surprised that i am unfit but if walking has me at my optimum HR thats pretty shocking. I was running and my HR would skyrocket but i didnt feel out of breath at all.

How am i supposed to get fit and train for a race if my HR says i cant even run!?

My resting HR is also quite low generally between 50bpm and 64bpm so that would also suggest i was quite fit. Is it dangerous to run at 100% of my max HR? During the summer before i had the monitor i must have been at 100% because i was pushing myself much harder.

I am a 24 year old male, 6′ tall and weigh 180 pounds. I am obviously not obese, but I have lived a rather sedentary lifestyle for the past few years, and I just got over smoking, so I am not in too great of shape. I recently started back at the gym, and one of my goals has been to develop stronger lungs and to be able to run distances of 3-5 miles. I played sports all through high school, so I know that just because there’s pain does not mean that you should stop, sometimes you have to push through it to get to the next level of fitness. With all that being said…

After 5-10 minutes of jogging at 6 MPH, my heart rate is always 180+. After 10-15 minutes of jogging at that pace I have seen my heart rate as high as 194. Please note, that I do not have a heart rate monitor so I am going off of the gym’s treadmill hand sensor. Everything that I have read says my max heart rate is 220-my age(24), which would be 196. Just how bad is it that I am hitting this point after 10-15 minutes of activity? Is this something that I should push myself through or should I be more cautious? I have also read articles for various activities that suggest you achieve 60% of your max heart rate as well as 80% of your max heart rate, but never something as high as 95%+. Should I be concerned about jogging 20 minutes without a break?

I have been trying to become a better runner for a year or two now. However, my heart rate is very high (hit 190 last week while running) even at a slow running pace. How do I work through this? I want to race someday but don’t know how to break through this.

I’m 21 and healthy otherwise! I have a membership to LA Fitness and am always there trying to improve…

I am beginning training for my first half marathon. The longest I’ve ever run before is 6.2 miles and I’ve never run longer than an hour at a clip.

I borrowed a friend’s heart rate monitor and find that while running 3 miles, my heart rate averages about 165 and peaks at around 172-175 on hills, etc.

I am 37 years old and have a resting heart rate (when I wake up) of 55 or so. All the generic heart rate zones say I should be training between 138 – 154 for my aerobic zone and 154 – 170 for anaerobic zone.

What can I do to improve my conditioning so I’m able to run at a decent pace but stay in my aerobic zone during long runs? Obviously I can’t run 2+ hours in my anaerobic zone.

Thanks for your feedback!