Thump, Thump, Thump

Do you know what you're heart is up to?  Aside from the fact that it pumps oxygenated blood and feels emotion on a daily basis; just how good is you're heart physically?  Unless you recently had a stress test; most people don't know what their resting heart rate is, or where it goes when they move around.   

Right now at age 52, my resting heart rate, while I type this is 56.  It's 9:00PM and as I whittle away my time for bed; I want to wake you up to an alarming and not surprising fact.  A fact that is told to us over and over by the health community. 

According to the CDC:  Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which often appears as a heart attack. In 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans will have a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack. About every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and about one every minute will die from one. [1] 

When I train my clients, I'm not surprised that they have a higher resting heart rate than I do.  Additionally, I'm not surprised how fast they reach their minimum heart rate while exercising.  Case in point, according to a cardiologist who gave me my stress test.  "The average female will reach their minimum heart rate in three minutes."  (Forgive me, I don't remember his name.)  In my case, they had me running up hill and it was over twenty minutes before I reached my minimum heart rate!  Why so long for me?  I'm in better condition.  Please note:  I don't run daily and I get a minimum of three days of exercise a week.  When I do exercise, I know exactly what my heart rate is and my routine is driven by it!

When I train a client, I insist that they wear a heart rate monitor so I can adjust their intensity level.  If the beat is too slow, I will increase the speed or incline, to get the heart rate up.  If the heart rate is faster then where I want them, I can make an immediate adjustment to lower their heart rate.  Without a monitor, I'm like a pilot flying blind with no instruments to guide me. 

The following is a formula that you can follow to determine what you're minimum and maximum heart rate should be:

220 minus you're age = X

Multiply X by 65% for you're minimum heart rate. 
Multiply X by 75% for you're maximum heart rate.

This is the formula I use to determine the training program I will follow for a client.  As their heart moves into a better condition, I will increase the maximum to 80-85%. 

Most people will not guarantee that this will work for you; I will.  For a fact, if you can follow my formula and exercise within the heart range I just taught you; in ten day sessions, you will see you're heart get in shape.  It will take you longer to get to you're minimum heart rate and you will be working at a higher intensity level.  Providing, (lol) you are not smoking and coating you're lungs with toxic waste!

1.Lloyd-Jones D, Adams R, Carnethon M, DeSimone G, Ferguson TB, Flegal K, Ford E, Furie K, Go A, Greenlund K, Haase N, Hailpern S, Ho M, Howard V, Kissela B, Kittner S, Lackland D, Lisabeth L, Marelli A, McDermott M, Meigs J, Mozaffarian D, Nichol G, O'Donnell C, Roger V, Rosamond W, Sacco R, Sorlie P, Stafford R, Steinberger J, Hong Y; American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics–2009 Update. A Report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation. 2008 Dec 15.