Does anyone use a heart rate monitor?

[morningglory]

Have been reading that using a heart rate monitor is a better way of training and understanding your body and how well you are doing blah blah blah. I have two heart rate monitors one which came with my Garmin and one which came with my treadmill and I have only used them a couple of times. Tonight I decided I would try to determine my MHR which you can do by using a certain formula but they say it is best to physically measure it. If I do the formula I come out at 182 BPM, I have just exhausted myself on the treadmill and done two full out runs and my Garmin results give me a result of 202 BPM (and the other was 200 BPM so almost identical). From what I have read your BPM decreases approximately 1 BPM per year due to the ageing process.

Does this mean my ticker is in good nick or am I just confused?

[greenlegs Graduate]

I think it probably means you're dead, as your heart can't go faster than maximum!

I've been trying to figure this out too, but haven't quite managed it yet. According to the age formula (I found somewhere that gave 4 alternative ways of calculating the mhr, but they were all pretty close) I'm often running at over 90% mhr (despite being very slow), but I don't think that can be right, because I can still talk! Maybe my monitor isn't too accurate, though it does seem to be when I check it against actually counting against the clock. But when moving it does vary quite fast.

[morningglory Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

I have since had a hunt around the web and it's not unheard of. It doesn't mean you are particularly fit. However apparently, if your resting heart rate is extremely low and your max heart rate is very high then that means you have a big bucket with which to bail out your boat, as you can imaging that is quite useful.

Before I get up tomorrow I will check my RHR then I will know whether I am dead or alive.

If I'm dead I'm staying in bed - won't even bother to phone work!!!!

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to morningglory]

Wise move!

My resting heart rate has come down a lot since last summer - partly better fitness, but also being on iron tablets - when I was anaemic, my resting heart rate was not good at all - around 80. Not surprising I found exercise hard work! It's about 72 now, sitting at the computer, and sometimes it's down to mid 60s first thing in the morning, which is so much better.

Goes up to 150+ when I'm running. My mhr is supposed to be something between high 160s to 173, depending on the calculation used. I haven't tried the 'run as fast as you can' test, as it seems to not be recommended for over-50s.

[shelleymcb Graduate in reply to greenlegs]

haha. we need a "like" button

[shelleymcb Graduate]

I go way over my maximum heart rate which is recommended by using the 220 - 44. when I run my hr can be anywhere between 165 & 193 & thats on a nice long easy run. I dread to think what it goes up to when I try & run faster. I dont use mine much. its the one that came with the garmin. the last time I used it I was on a long run & it peaked at 202 a minute or so after I started running then went down to between 175-185. I have found that concentrating on my breathing & taking deep breaths can bring it down if I notice that it is quite high.

I asked this question too when I first started & around that time also asked my doctor & she said that as long as I wasnt feeling faint then it was nothing to worry about, as my blood pressure is always great when I visit her. havent checked for a while but my resting hr is around 60. I have read that if your resting heart rate goes up in the morning then it can be a sign of overtraining.

[greenlegs Graduate in reply to shelleymcb]

Interesting comments, Shelley, thanks.

[Oldgirl Graduate]

I did some HIIT cycling at the gym this morning and my HR went up to 185 and stayed at that while I was going flat out. Now thats still quite fast but my new meds are causing even my resting rate to be increased from 56 to 72'ish. Doc suggested I try and keep mine about 165 when running which is all very well on the flat but nature put a few hills into all my routes!!!!!