Maximum Heart Rate

Continued...

Your pulse rate drops quickly when you stop exercising. It may take you time to find it, by which time the heart rate has decreased. It should be taken within ten seconds of stopping.

Often people make the mistake of starting the count when "zero" appears on their digital watches, and stopping when the "seven" appears. This may account for some of the high pulse rates in your class. You must stop counting as soon as the "six" appears.

After all, if you start at "zero," when the "one" appears, one second has elapsed. So when the "six" first appears your six seconds are up. Some classes take the pulse for 10 seconds, which increases the accuracy.

Other reasons your heart rate may be too high are dehydration, fatigue, infection with or without fever, anemia, obesity, or use of certain drugs, including diet pills, decongestants, caffeine, manjuana, or cocaine.

It is theoretically possible that exercising with a fever can cause some damage to the heart muscle, so never exercise aerobically when you are sick.

Everyone is an individual, and has different tolerance for exercise and endurance. Using your pulse rate as the sole determinant of your exercise level is best done in the early stages of your conditioning program to make sure that you are getting into the target training zone.

Once you are confident of your stamina and have learned how your body feels during and after workouts of specific times and distance, there is not much benefit in stopping your exercise to take your pulse.

Try to develop a more holistic appreciation of your exercise, taking into consideration if your legs feel wobbly, your lungs are burning, or if you feel dizzy or nauseous. These are also indications that you are overdoing it and need to slow down.

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About the authors: Carol L. Otis, M.D., is Chief Medical Advisor to the Sanex WTA and a UCLA student health physician. Roger Goldingay is a former professional soccer player. They are married and the co-authors of The Athletic Woman's Survival Guide.

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Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
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