In order to get fit, you need to get your heart rate up above its resting rate on a regular basis. Cardiovascular exercise is any kind of exercise that raises your heart rate and breathing rate, and over time can improve the health and functioning of your heart. However, a heart rate of 200 beats per minute is too high to be considered safe for most people. Consult your doctor for medical advice before starting any new exercise regimen.
Maximum Heart Rate
According to the MedlinePlus online medical encyclopedia, your maximum heart rate is determined by subtracting your age in years from the number 220. Therefore, a heart rate of 200 bpm would be considered the theoretical maximum for a person aged 20. Cardiovascular exercise is most effective, and safest, when performed at a heart rate between 60 percent and 90 percent of your theoretical maximum. Therefore, a heart rate of 200 bpm during cardio exercise would be considered dangerously high for most adults.
Factors
The better your overall cardiovascular fitness, the lower your heart rate is likely to be at all times. The resting heart rates of trained athletes are typically lower than the resting heart rates of people with a sedentary lifestyle. Additionally, your heart rate will increase more slowly during cardiovascular exercise if you are physically fit. Regular cardiovascular exercise conditions your body to function under anaerobic conditions, which means your heart does not have to work so hard to achieve physical motion and cardiovascular activity.
Exceptions
The lower your level of cardiovascular fitness, the higher your heart rate will become during cardio exercise. If you are very unfit and starting an exercise program under medical supervision, your heart rate during exercise may be relatively high. So, 200 bpm may be an acceptable exercising heart rate for children or teenagers undertaking cardiovascular exercise at or near 90 percent of the theoretical maximum safe heart rate. Qualified supervision of such intense exercise is vital.
Risks
A generally high resting heart rate indicates an increased risk for negative cardiac health outcomes, according to a study reported in the February 2009 issue of the "British Medical Journal." This correlation between high heart rate and increased cardiac health risks has been established both in men and in women. However, an increased heart rate was not associated with an increased risk of stroke in the BMJ study.
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