Why Is It So Important To Monitor Your Heart Rate When Exercising?

There are some people who becomes breathless even during a 10-minute warm-up while there are also those who can endure an hour or more without going out of breath and still being able to engage in a conversation. So the question is, is it because one is exercising more than the other? Well, the answer depends on the capacity and endurance of your heart.

When the topic concerns your exercise and your heart rate, knowing your intended heart rate will make you be aware of how much effort you're exerting or how much more effort you need to put in. If you keep track of your heart rate while exercising and have an idea on what zone you need to be in, you can adjust your intensity while also saving some effort so that you can make the most out of your workout.

Increase your heart rate

Aerobic exercises can easily increase your rate and keep the blood flowing. Cycling, plyometric, skipping, swimming, and High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) are all known to be aerobic exercises.

If you perform any of the said aerobic exercises, you are working your heart, lungs, and circulatory system to supply nutrients and oxygen to the working muscles. Research also agrees on the fact that if you're good at aerobic exercises, you are likely to improve your overall health and lessen your risk of getting chronic diseases.

According to the guidelines, the recommended heart rate should be 20-60 beats higher than your normal rate in which you are doing something like an intensity training that stimulates your aerobic system. If you know your target heart rate (THR), you can then determine if you're pushing yourself too hard and if it's time for you to slow down. But if the intensity is not that heavy, your heart rate is likely to be below the THR.

For beginners, aim your exercise to be on the lower range of the target zone and increase it gradually to a higher range probably somewhere around 85%. Keep in mind these standard guidelines and as for people with any existing heart conditions, they should get their healthcare professional's advice first regarding how they can safely perform their exercise and any advice for their THR.

Reasons why exercise is good for the heart

Doing exercises will stimulate the heart to beat faster and constant practice will help strengthen it. In addition to that, there are also other benefits that are associated with the heart and exercise.

• Circulation - Doing cardiovascular exercises will improve blood circulation thus reducing the risk for any blood clots in the arteries.
• Weight loss - Any regular exercise paired with a healthy diet can reduce obesity and lose weight in the process. Having an excessive amount of weight is linked to various diseases such as diabetes and can add some strain on the heart. But through weight loss, this strain can be lifted.
• Lowers blood pressure - Aerobic exercises are known for reducing and even prevent high blood pressure.
• Stronger heart - Doing regular exercises will strengthen the heart and if the heart is strong, it will only require minimum effort in pumping blood.
• Lowers cholesterol - Exercise can raise good cholesterol levels (HDL) which are helpful for lowering the risk of a heart disease.

Get into the zone

Before doing your target training heart rate, you should also know your resting heart rate, which is the amount of heart beats per minute when you're at rest. It's best to check this one as soon as you get out of bed in the morning.

Generally, anyone between age 10 to 60, the average resting heart rate is around 60 and 100 beats per minute. Athletes and regular exercisers have a range of 40-60 beats per minute.

At this point, you will know your target training zone from one of the following methods:

• Take your pulse within your wrist
• Count your pulse for 10 seconds then multiply it by 6 to know your beats per minute
• Then calculate between 50 to 85% of your maximum heart rate to know your THR

Or

• You will find out your maximum heart rate if you take 220 minus your age and from which you will know the percentages of your target heart rate

Many fitness professional also use another method called Rate of Perceived Exertion. It may sound fancy, but it simply means that the measurement is based on a scale of 1-10 wherein 1 is "no effort needed to hold a conversation" and 10 being "you can barely breathe that you're panting so bad and that talking is impossible." The idea of this one is for you to observe how you feel during your exercise and workout at an intensity which can be challenging yet you are capable of continuing for a long period of time.

If you're a beginner, you should at least be able to breath fairly comfortably to have a comfortable and safe level of exercise. Even if you'll be talking from time-to-time, you should at least be able to hold a conversation without any difficulties.