Heart rate too high too quick??

[J.B]

Hi there, I have yet another question about heart rates, if anyone can help. I do aerobics twice a week and feel I am quite fit, although not at my best. However, I attended an induction for a gym on Thursday, to up my exercise during the week. While he was showing us how to use the machines he got us to check our pulses. On the very first machine, a stepper, after 2 and a half minutes my pulse rate was 185!! I am only 31 and not overweight at all, but was infromed that my heart rate was way too high! Is this correct and if so what could be causing it in such a short period??
It was normal on the cross trainer and bike, so we tried the stepper again, but had the same high reading??
Confused.............................

 

[scubafee]

Hi JB
Was it a reading by the actual machine or were you wearing a monitor? Machine readings can vary widely. I was on a the treadmill once it read 220 but my HR monitor said 130. Also, try to find out what your resting heart rate is. What happens when you lift weights? Do you feel dizzy or have any feelings of light-headedness.

If you are worried the best thing is to go to your GP and get a check-up. I had a medical recently and had a recovery and resting HR tests. That's a good indication of how your heart is performing. You might want to ask your GP to arrange this for you.

SF

 

[J.B]

Hi Scubafee

I was actually wearing a heart rate monitor strapped to my body. I counted it myself to start with and the guy doing the induction couldn't believe it was so high. He went away and came back with the strap and asked me to go to the changing room and put it on.

I do have periods of dizzyness/lightheadedness but there is no pattern to when it happens. What would that signify? I went to the doctors last February because I fainted on the train going to work. I have never in my life fainted, but because I was going to do the West Highland Way in May I thought I would get it checked. The doc didnt seem that bothered. Said I could be aneamic and done a blood test, which came back ok. Said I must've just had a dip in blood sugar level. Managed the Westy Way without a problem.

 

[scubafee]

Hi again JB
I guess if your doctor ok'd it and the gym instruction wasn't too worried then maybe it was a one-off. I would just monitor things and make sure you're getting plenty of fluids and foods with natural sugars.
SF

 

[jsg52]

just to be safe, I would recommend seeing your doctor about this. max heart rate for a human being is [ 220 - (your age)]. so if you are 31 is approximately 189. this means a couple things:

1. If your heart was going at 185 bpm on this stepper, you would have been -gasping- for air. And when I say gasping, I really mean it. I ride about 15-20 miles a day on my bike and consider myself in pretty good shape but when my heart rate gets to around 175, im really breathing.

2. If your heart was going at 185 bpm on the stepper, you were at about 95% of your max heart rate. depending on what you are going for (weight loss, cardiovascular improvement) you might have different goals, but in general the best exercise is done somewhere around 70 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. there's no real "problem" with getting up higher than 85 percent when you are exercising (so long as you dont have a heart condition, really high blood pressure et cetera) except that its not sustainable for a long period of time.. its like a sprint, really.

Re-reading your post, something does look a bit suspicious and this is that your heart rate was not as high on the cross trainer and the bike. I'm thinking that perhaps 185 was not an accurate reading simply because everything else you have said would make a lot more sense if this is the case.

one pretty easy way to find out is to take your resting heart rate yourself. average is around 60 to 70, if you're an athlete it can be less (lance armstrong, for example, has a resting heart rate of 32 beats per minute). anyhow if it is particularly high, i would go see a doctor about it. if its not, i would try some moderate cardio again, enough so that you break a sweat but not enough so that you are heaving for air, and then after 5 minutes take your pulse -yourself-. middle and index finger (not thumb) under the corner of your cheekbone, set a timer for a minute and start counting (or a timer for 30 seconds and multiply by 2, 15 seconds and multiply by four, et cetera). sometimes the only way to get an accurate reading is to do it yourself

hope this helps.

 

[Obsidian]

I have a similar problem but I think mine is because of my fitness level which up to now was nonexistent. I started using an elliptical trainer but when I first used it my heart rate plunged really high really fast. I know I have no stamina so I used a Heart rate monitor belt to make sure I'm not working really hard. Problem is even when I'm going really slow and with the lowest resistance setting I can't keep my heart rate below 175. I have used it for two days and in the second day I did a little bit better but my heart rate was between 162-175. Still high.

I was thinking that if I use it every day at slow pace for twenty minutes my stamina will improve so I can then start using the machine properly. Does this sound right to you?

I'm also confused about the Target Heart Rate. Most web sites with calculators I've visited give me a different range. I'm 25 female, 173 cm (5ft 8) and weigh 68 kg (150 lbs). My resting heart rate is 62 but with the slightest action like walking across the room it goes up to 90.

 

[rip]

First off, that MHR = 220 - your_age is only an estimate. Everyone is different. My MHR is 193 and according to that calculation, it should be 182. I think that MHR correlates to the size of your heart. The smaller your heart is the higher MHR you can have. Perhaps you are above average for your approx. MHR.

Take a look at your breathing technique before you panic. It sounds to me like you are panting to much. Try taking in purposeful, slow, deep breaths. Breathing more deeply can reduce your heart rate, since your heart is only trying to get oxygen to your muscles.

The next time you get a chance to try this out, concentrate on slow-deep breaths and your rate may drop some.

I HTH,
Rip

 

[Obsidian]

Hmm...breathing techniques. I'll try this.

Take a look at your breathing technique before you panic. It sounds to me like you are panting to much.

No I'm not panicking and you're right about breathing properly. I usually have a stuffed nose due to allergy but before each workout I make sure my nose is free so I don't have to breathe using my mouth and making my pant worse.

I'm really out of shape so it's kind of expected. It seems that I'm improving my stamina with each workout, however. Today was much better.