Heart rate and excercise
 

Hello all, I started wearing a heartrate monitor during excercise a while ago. I think most of you are familiar with the zones 'fat burning', 'aerobic' etc. My prolem is that I have trouble reaching even the lowest zone (fat burning), I'll run with all my might, panting, but it is impossible to keep my heart rate up.

I do have a very low resting heartrate, even morbidly obese (and with no exercise at all) my resting heartrate would go under 50 when sitting on a chair. Could this have anything to do with it? Maybe the difference is too big? Or am I just not fit enough?

(My doctor knows about my slow heartrate and has reassured me she can't hear anything wrong with it)

I don't think I have ever, ever gotten my heart rate into the target zone. I don't know if it's my muscles or my willpower, but it seriously hasn't happened. I exercise a lot (90 min cardio/30 minutes weight lifting) a day, every day, and let me tell you, moderate exercise can still burn plenty of calories. I am eating 1800-1900 calories a day and losing 2 lbs a weeks, which means I am averaging a 1000 calorie a day deficit. The only way that is happening is if that exercise is effective.

Another one who can't get even close to the 60% "fat burning" zone. And the fitter I get, the better my resting rate so the number is getting even further away. But my doctor loves the way my resting heart rate has dropped and my body is certainly dropping the fat so I don't even look at it anymore.

Wow! That's interesting. I'm envious. My resting HR is low, but my HR goes into the target zone and stays there-- even going above my theoretical target zone...

Go by feel. Most of the time should be "I can talk" Some of the time "I can talk but I'd really rather not" and occasionally intentional short intervals of "Talk? yeah. right"

If your heart rate isn't going up enough your not working hard enough.

The harder you work the higher the muscular demand for oxygen and nutrition if your won't go up enough your not working the muscles enough simples

Quillie, that's so interesting, because I have the opposite problem -- my heart rate skyrockets! I've been an on-again/off-again jogger for 18 years, and this has always been the case. My RHR is pretty low (though not below 50), but once I get moving, it goes up up up! But using Ennay's scale, I can pretty much chat all the way through a run so I guess I'm OK.

I know the zones they give are a rough guide. At my gym, you can do this test, where you run on a treadmill wearing a max that measures (I think) the amount of oxygen you exhale. Or something. Anyway, the point of it is that it apparently gives you customized zones, much more accurate than charts based just on age. I'm thinking about doing it, but since there's some disagreement about the importance of zones (some argue that it's purely calories burned, zone be darned), I'm hesitant to cough up the $200 or so that it costs.

Just of of curiosity, how fast are you running? If you're on a treadmill, are you using an incline?

Then I lost 115+ pounds being a lazy slob. I highly recommend it.

Seriously, advice like this really hurts people: it makes them feel like failures and like there is no point in trying if they aren't doing it --or can't do it-- the "right" way.

I like this way of monitoring the best... as you get fitter you'll see that you can talk at the times when you couldn't before... Hang in there, enjoy your progresses even when they're small...

OP asked why their HR wasn't getting up to the target level I answered it. It's simple physiology the harder you work the faster your heart pumps therefore if the OP isn't getting the heart rate up the intensity is too low.

I also use the "talk test".

Yeah, I like Ennay's suggestion and don't know enough to combat what slimmings said, but would if I could.

I have the opposite problem! I used to have a HR of 95ish and my heart rate would sky rocket to 175 with anything I considered a workout. Now my HR is a ridiculous 46ish and heavy cardio brings my HR up to 160ish. Staying within those heart rate zones??? Well, if I did that, I'd be on a nice leisurely walk...and would probably have to pause often to bring my HR back down.

So on either extreme, I'd say the talk test is the best indicator. I call it "perceived effort".

My spin instructor calls this "sentences" and "words" - as in, "can you feel your sentences?" "can you feel your words?"

At first I was like, what in the WORLD is she talking about, but then she explained -

Your low heart rate is "I can speak full sentences."
Your medium heart rate is "I can speak a few words"
Your high heart rate is "There is no talking, I can't get it out"

So during spin, she'll say, "Get up there and feel your words! You shouldn't feel your sentences!" which I now know to mean, "get your heart rate up high enough that you could only speak a few words."

I find this a little silly, but extremely easy to understand, and applicable.

Tbh what slimmingsi said is the truth and you shouldn't be getting at him for trying to be honest. The OP asked a question, he simply answered with a logical and truthful answer. There was nothing hurtful or abusive about what he said. He simply told her what she needed to do to rectify the situation.

Roobear, I'm not convinced that's true.

I know that those of us on one extreme have heart rates well over the recommended number and yet our perceived effort suggests otherwise. So I believe it's possible that those of us on the other extreme could potentially be way under the recommended number and yet our perceived effort would suggest we're "in the zone".

I really think it's about perceived effort...

your not convinced that the higher the intensity of a work out the higher your heart rate will be? in your post you talk about percieved effort that is irrelevant to the OP statements as they have a HRM so what they are actually doing is quantifiable and what they perceive is of no value to this discussion.

IF however there was NO HRM then yes perception of exercise would play a massive part in whether your working in the right zone. Perception of intensity based on the Borg scale can be manipulated by diet.

No, I agree that the harder you work out the higher the heart rate will be. I'm saying that one person's high is different from another person's high. The OP mentioned that her heart rate is not getting anywhere near the charts recommended numbers according to the HR monitor. In that case, perceived effort DOES come into play. I ignore those charts and go only with my perceived efforts because if I didn't, I'd be in my max zone taking a leisurely walk around the park. My perceived effort tells me I'm not working very hard, but my HR disagrees. I think it's possible the OP has the OPPOSITE problem. Perhaps she is giving her best effort but her HR is telling her otherwise.

A phrase like "not working hard enough" isn't a comment on "simple physiology": it's a value statement that her will is weak, that she is being lazy and half-hearted. I don't think there is any reason to jump to this conclusion. One, even if you are being indulgent and not pushing yourself, you can burn calories, and if you do it enough, you can burn quite a lot of calories. Two, I know that even when I go all out, my heart rate stays well below what the calculators estimate as my best range. Yet there is significant evidence that I am burning calories at a high rate--I am eating like a pig these days (1800/day) and still losing at 2 lb/week average. So that exercise that isn't "hard enough" sure seems to be worth doing.

How? how does comparing a quaintifiable number on a machine and matching it with a chart based on % of an age adjusted maximum heart rate have anything to do with perception? either her HR is telling her she is working hard enough or it isn't.

Work is a term in science that describes exerting a force on something to move it some distance. i.e pushing a weight or your legs pushing your body forward to run.

"not working hard enough" is nothing to do with her will or being lazy it means simply to increase intensity.

And work in every other context (like, say, a message board) means "effort".

Furthermore, I don't think you can conclude she needs to "increase intensity". The OP is already "running with all [her] might" and "panting". To me, it sounds like her intensity is just fine, and she's certainly burning calories, so why on earth does she need to increase her intensity?

Unless she has been medically tested in a laboratory environment YOU have no idea what the OP's ACTUAL working heart rate is. (There are functional tests, but they are painful and largely unneccessary)

While 220-age is a nice convenient formula it is merely the centerpoint on a bell curve of ACTUAL MHR. I know a woman who's max HR is 240+ at the age of 37. No joke. She runs marathons for 4 hours at what most HRM would consider "120% of max". She is on one extreme of the bell curve. There will be people on the other extreme. By your logic she should be passing out at about 50 yards into the race and yet she is still alive at the end.

Also, given that the OP describes her breathing as "panting" then it is doubtful she is as underworking as you think and it is more likely the TARGET that is at fault than the work effort.

It is a medical FACT that there are multiple factors that contribute to HR levels and it is possible that there are other factors at play. (personal example, there was a period in my life that due to simple medical issues my MAXHR dropped about 30 BPM lower than normal. I was working out to the point of nearly passing out and yet my HR stayed low. I've also had medical issues that caused me to hit 140 simply getting out of bed)

To the OP:

Go by feel and as your fitness and weight improves if you maintain this kind of heart rate measured on MULTIPLE monitors or measured by the far more reliable "count your pulse" method, it might be worth talking to a doctor about, just to gain peace of mind that there isnt some other underlying issue.

1. i try to answer where ever possible with scientifically based answer. and i'm happy wherever proven wrong to publically amend anything i've put.

2. maybe her intensity is fine for the situation but she asked why her HR isn't going up enough. simply her HR isn't up to the level as the intensity isn't enough to make it.

i have no idea why if shes burning calories she'd want to increase the intensity thats something she would need to answer. but the question was why isn't my HR getting to this level simple answer intensity.

"Scientifically based" is not the same as using a scientific term of art.

She doesn't know if she is burning calories/improving her health. That's why she asked the question--she wants to know if her heart rate suggests she's doing something wrong, screwing up, wasting her time, failing. Your answer suggests that she is doing those things. Do you see how depressing and incorrect that would be? There is plenty of evidence, IMHO, that even at a somewhat lower heart rate she is more likely than not doing herself plenty of good.

I know I have no idea what her acutal HR is however.
1. OP is comparing her Hr to a number on a chart
2. OP wonders why her Hr is not the same as that on a chart.

because the intensity of exercise doesn't warrant that. regardless of actual or hypothetical ranges. i never stated the ranges and wanted to match up she did. i never suggested she gets to the range target she wanted to know why it wasn't up there.

i simply answered the question how come my HR doesn't get that high. There is nothing else in the answer no hidden message, no hurtful comments nothing other than to get your HR up farther increase intensity.

why is it so hard for people to actually read what i'm saying without loading emotional and psychological subtexts (which dont' exist) on to it

Because you missed the emotional and psychological subtexts of the OP (which do exist).

Original post.

Hello all, I started wearing a heartrate monitor during excercise a while ago. I think most of you are familiar with the zones 'fat burning', 'aerobic' etc. My prolem is that I have trouble reaching even the lowest zone (fat burning), I'll run with all my might, panting, but it is impossible to keep my heart rate up.

I do have a very low resting heartrate, even morbidly obese (and with no exercise at all) my resting heartrate would go under 50 when sitting on a chair. Could this have anything to do with it? Maybe the difference is too big? Or am I just not fit enough?

(My doctor knows about my slow heartrate and has reassured me she can't hear anything wrong with it)

where does it state 1. burning calories. 2. improving health. 3. mentions anything to do with wasting time?

i see quesitons 1.can't keep HR up to chart level. 2. is OP's low startin HR anything to do with it. 3. is she fit enough. i see no emotional subtext nor emotionally charged wording. as i seem apparantly unable to read something that emotional can you please highlight and explain the emotional phrases from the OP so i can look out for them in future.

Subtext here is "I am trying really, really hard. But I am worried that I am failing. (note "I have trouble")

This is how you know she's insecure about her own abilities and worries that somehow the problem is with her--that she's doing something wrong, failing in some way.

And of course she wants to know about the effectiveness of the exercise regarding weight loss--that's the whole point of this board, after all.

thats the subtext you perceive and no doubt we could put that phrase to 100 people unconnected to this threat and get 100 different answers. hence i do no do subtext as if you don't do it you can't get it wrong. to me the OP means nothing other than the words she put until proven otherwise. if she had meant something else why didn't she type it?

no its a simple yes or no answer. am i fit enough. i.e will i be able to achieve said goal if i get fitter.

as the op has lost around 70lb i was of the opinion she knew how to lose weight so therefore wouldn't put something about it.

To get back to OP's question:

My question would be, does your HRM have a fitness test function? I have a polar where you do a resting heart rate and then a fitness test which will tell you based on these numbers (you also enter your height, weight, age, sex, etc) it adjusts what your zoned heart rates should be. I know that my #'s have changed as I've lost weight. Perhaps there's something with the settings that can be done that will help?

Wishing you the beset of luck!

My suggestion would be to ask your doctor for advice. Your heart rate is not always just a simple measure of health or indication of proper exercise exertion. There are plenty of reasons why your heart rate may not be what you expect and none may compare to the next persons experience. For example, my own heart rate will never ever go into "the zone" due to a heart condition and the medication necessary to treat it. But that doesn't mean I won't benefit from a good workout that still keeps me under someone else's target heart rate.

As long as your doctor says you are healthy and that the heart rate you reach is safe and effective for you, then that's the advice you need to follow. She may have suggestions for you.

Good luck :)