Do you exercise regularly? Do you own and use a heart monitor? Fellow gym dwellers wonder why I bother to use a monitor. Here’s why.
The purpose of all aerobic exercise, and some portions of anaerobic exercise, is to condition the heart. If you wear a heart monitor every time you exercise, you have an accurate guide of the effect your exercise has on your heart. Any other way to measure pulse is guesswork.
Keeping your heart rate in a specific zone for a set amount of time defines an effective workout. If your pulse is too low or too high, you will not reap the benefits you might think you’re getting. Too many people work out well beyond their upper range for extended periods and don’t know it. That type of workout can be more harmful than good.
There is low intensity aerobic exercise. You are in this zone when your pulse is in the 60 to 65 percent of maximum range. There are high intensity aerobics. You are in this zone when your pulse is in the 70 to 85 percent of maximum range. There is anaerobic exercise. You are in this zone when your pulse is in the 85 percent plus of maximum range. A simple way to find your target range is to subtract your age from 220 then multiple the percentage you want.
Just because you sweat and pant, it does not mean you know what range you are in. Even if you feel fine, you might well be in a dangerous anaerobic zone for too long. I don’t know anyone who can consistently or accurately tell their pulse without a monitor. Yes, you can get approximations by feeling your pulse and counting or watching a clock. However, this is subject to a wide error rate. And, it is sporadic, not constant like a monitor. Yes, many exercise machines now have built in pulse monitors that read your pulse through your hand grip. These are close enough, so use them. That is good for when you are on a machine. What about when you lift weights, run, jog or walk?
Use the monitor’s information to adjust your intensity to fit the purpose of your workout. When lifting weights, let your heart tell you when you are ready to begin your next set, not how you “think” you feel. By using a heart monitor it is easy to get a double benefit from a weight routine. Get your heart into the low aerobic, 60-65 percent zone. Then keep it there by pacing your sets and exercises according to your pulse. You can get a 30 to 45 minute aerobic/anaerobic combination workout quite easily.
Tim O’Brien writes continuing-education courses and presents seminars on stress management.
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