Starting an exercise program is usually met with enthusiasm. However, motivation usually starts to dwindle a few weeks in, when the excitement wears off. Whether you're a novice or an expert, monitoring your heart rate can give you a goal to strive for. Most exercise programs can be based on achieving an optimal heart rate. Heart rate also indicates increases in fitness.
Definition
Heart rate is the number of times the body pumps blood per minute. It is measured as beats per minute. According to "Exercise Physiology" by Brooks, Fahey and Baldwin, heart rate is controlled through the vagus nerve. Increased vagal stimulation decreases the heart rate and decreased vagal stimulation increases the heart rate. Heart rate is controlled by the hypothalamus of the brain.
Function
When there is a call for an increase in oxygen to working muscles, the heart rate must increase to provide blood. "Anatomy and Physiology" by Kenneth Saladin states that the heart is responsible for delivering blood to the lungs to exchange carbon dioxide, a product of cellular metabolism, for oxygen. It is also responsible for providing the newly oxygen-rich blood to the muscles that need it.
Features
The Mayo Clinic website reports that a normal resting heart rate is anything between 60 to 100 beats per minute. Furthermore, things such as medications, body size, fitness level, emotions, intensity of activity and body position can affect the heart rate.
Maximum Heart Rate
In order to decide on an appropriate heart rate range, the maximum heart rate should be calculated. This can be done simply by subtracting your age from 220. The answer will indicate a predicted maximum heart rate, states the American Heart Association.
Heart Rate Ranges
Deciding on the optimum cardio heart rate is dependent upon the goal of exercise. According to the American Council on Exercise, a higher intensity level of exercise is better for fat burning and weight loss. An increased level of intensity would be about 75 percent of a person's predicted maximum heart rate. However, if cardiovascular health is the goal, a less intense heart rate can be used. This is also true if a person is just beginning an exercise program. When this is the case, a target heart rate range of 50 to 70 percent of maximum can be used, states the American Heart Association.
Monitoring
There are several ways to monitor heart rate while exercising. Many pieces of aerobic exercise equipment can tell a person their heart rate. Usually, this is done by placing your hands on a certain part of the handles. A heart rate monitor can also be used. This is a watch that that transmits the heart rate from a band that is placed around the chest. The easiest way to measure heart rate is by counting brachial pulse. The Mayo Clinic website suggests doing this by placing two fingers on the thumb side of the wrist. Count the number of beats for 15 seconds. To get your heart rate, multiply that number by four.
References
- "Exercise Physiology"; Brooks, George A., Fahey, Thomas D., Baldwin, Kenneth M., 2005
- "Anatomy and Physiology"; Saladin, Kenneth S., 2004
- MayoClinic.com: Heart Rate: What's Normal?
- The American Heart Association: Target Heart Rates
- The American Council on Exercise
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