Listen to Your Heart
Resting Heart Rate
While
Heart
Rate
is
an
accurate
measure
of
your
performance
during
aerobic
exercise,
it
is
not
the
only
indicator
of
your
fitness
level.
Your
resting
heart
rate
also
needs
to
be
determined,
especially
if
you
plan
to
use
the
Karvonen
method
(see
next
page)
to
ascertain
your
target
heart
rate.
The
resting
heart
rate
represents
the
minimum
number
of
heartbeats
needed
to
maintain
the
body.
The
resting
heart
rate
should
be
taken
first
thing
in
the
morning
upon
waking,
and
before
getting
out
of
bed.
Take
this
measurement
after
waking
without
using
an
alarm
that
would
“jolt”
you
from
your
sleep.
As
you
exercise
your
resting
heart
rate
will
become
lower
because
your
cardiovascular
system
will
become
stronger.
From
time
to
time
you
will need to repeat the above measurement.
Step 1: Taking your pulse using the correct fingers
Use the index and middle finger to find the pulse. The thumb is has a pulse of it's own that may interfere with the count.
Step 2: Locate your pulse
Most
people
find
their
pulse
in
the
side
of
the
neck
or
at
the
wrist.
If
you
are
locating
it
in
the
side
of
your
neck,
be
sure
not
to
press
too
hard
or
you
could
block
blood
flow
to
one
side
of
the
brain.
Tilt
your
head
back
slightly
and
place
your
fingers
in
the
groove
that
is
to
the
side
and
slightly
above
the Adam's apple. If you are trying to locate the pulse in your wrist, tilt the hand back slightly and place your fingers on the thumb side of your wrist.
Step 3: Count the beats that you feel
The first count begins with zero. Count each successive beat, continue counting for ten seconds. Multiply this number by 6.
Step 4: Record the count
The
Resting
Heartbeat
number
should
be
somewhere
between
45
and
80.
Athletes
will
have
a
lower
resting
heart
rate
while
an
older
person
who
is
inactive
will
have
a
higher
resting
heart
rate.
The
higher
resting
heart
rate
does
not
indicate
cardiovascular
disease
but
indicates
a
lack
of
aerobic
conditioning. Drugs such as caffeine and those found in cold medications raise the heart rate and do not give a true indication of the resting count.
