Heart
Rate Monitoring
Heart rate monitoring can be done manually by taking your pulse
or by wearing a monitor.
There are two locations to take your pulse when exercising:
the wrist or the neck. Count the number of beats for 10 seconds
and multiply by 6, this will give you a heart rate, beats per
minute.
A heart rate monitor consists of a chest transmitter and a
receiving watch. The transmitter picks up every 5th heart beat
and sends a signal to the watch which then calculates the beats
per minute.
Counting over 10 seconds gives a quick record of your heart
beat when stopping to take your pulse before the heart rate
slows down.
Target Heart Rate Range
A target heart rate range (THRR) is used to provide an individual
with a guided intensity to exercise within.
A range is calculated as a percentage of your maximum heart
rate depending on your ability and specific needs.
A healthy individual will exercise 70-85% of their maximum
heart rate to achieve improvement in the cardio-vascular system.
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Generally a THRR is estimated by taking the age from 220 heart
beats per minute, the maximum a heart can beat. Multiply by a
percentage depending on the level of intensity required by the
individual to exercise within.
Heart rate ranges are used for all capabilities from a sedentary
person to a athlete. A sedentary individual would begin in a
low range, eg. 55 to 65% of their maximum heart rate. Someone
who wants to lose weight and burn fat would ideally exercise
in a 65 to 75% of their maximum heart rate.
By monitoring your heart rate an effective and safe exercise
level can be achieved reducing the possibilities of cardiac
abnormalities or orthopaedic problems and injury.
Talk Test
Using the talk test: If you can talk and sing without being
out of breath, you’re not exercising hard enough
If you can
comfortably talk but not sing, you’re exercising at the right
intensity
If you can’t talk at all without gasping, reduce the intensity.
See information sheet on the
Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale.
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