What Is Target Heart Rate
- You gain the most benefits and lessen the risks when you exercise in your target heart rate zone. Usually this is when your exercise heart rate is 60 to 80% of your maximum heart rate. In some cases, your health care provider may decrease your target heart rate zone to begin with 50% .
- In some cases, High Intensity Interval Training may be beneficial. This should be discussed with a healthcare professional before beginning. With HIIT exercise, heart rates zones may exceed 85%.
- Always check with your healthcare provider before starting an exercise program. Your provider can help you find a program and target heart rate zone that matches your needs, goals and physical condition.
- When beginning an exercise program, you may need to gradually build up to a level thats within your target heart rate zone, especially if you havent exercised regularly before. If the exercise feels too hard, slow down. You will reduce your risk of injury and enjoy the exercise more if you dont try to over-do it!
- To find out if you are exercising in your target zone , stop exercising and check your 10-second pulse. If your pulse is below your target zone , increase your rate of exercise. If your pulse is above your target zone, decrease your rate of exercise.
Heart Rate Vs Pulse Rate: The Difference
The cardiovascular system is a complex network of specialized muscle and tissue. They all work together to ensure that oxygen-rich blood is being supplied to the far reaches of the human body. No organ is more important than the brain, which is why when our blood pressure becomes too low we often collapse or faint so our head will be on a lower plane, horizontally on the floor with the rest of the body. This is to circumvent the effects of gravity and help the heart pump blood to the brain more easily.
Our heart rate and pulse rate are key factors to ensuring blood pressure is high enough to sustain the perfusion of blood to all organs of the human body. While both are considered similar each represents a different mechanic of how the body is responding to differences in blood pressure.
Under normal condition, both the heart rate and pulse rate tend to be the same, but in conditions that affect either only the heart or only the blood vessels, these values may differ. The heart rate is the measured value obtained per minute when listening to the sounds the heart produces. The pulse rate is the measured value per minute when palpating the arterial vessels through the sense of touch and is a good indicator of various blood pressures throughout the body.
Your pulse rate is dependent on your heart rate. For if your heart were to stop beating you will not produce a pulse as there is no blood being pumped through the arterial vascular system.
When To Call Your Doctor
If youre on a beta blocker to decrease your heart rate or to control an abnormal rhythm , your doctor may ask you to monitor and log your heart rate. Keeping tabs on your heart rate can help your doctor determine whether to change the dosage or switch to a different medication.
If your pulse is very low or if you have frequent episodes of unexplained fast heart rates, especially if they cause you to feel weak or dizzy or faint, tell your doctor, who can decide if its an emergency. Your pulse is one tool to help get a picture of your health.
You May Like: How To Stop A Heart Attack In 30 Seconds
Maximum And Target Heart Rate
There is no definitive medical advice on when a resting heart rate is too high, but most medical experts agree that a consistent heart rate in the upper levels can put too much stress on the heart and other organs. If a person has a high heart rate at rest and is experiencing other symptoms, doctors may examine his or her heart function, Bauman said.
Knowing your heart rate during workout sessions can help know whether you are doing too much or not enough, the AHA says. When people exercise in their target heart zone, they gain the most benefits and improve their hearts health. When your heart rate is in the target zone you know you are pushing the muscle to get stronger, Bauman said.
A persons target heart rate zone is between 50 percent and 85 percent of his or her maximum heart rate, according to the AHA.
Most commonly, maximum heart rate is calculated by subtracting your age from 220. For a 30-year-old person, for example: 220 30 = 190.
The target zone for a 30-year-old person would be between 50 and 85 percent of his or her maximum heart rate:
- 50 percent: 190 x 0.50 = 95 bpm
- 85 percent: 190 x 0.85 = 162 bpm
For a 60-year-old person, the target zone would be between 80 and 136 bpm.
You can either manually calculate your heart rate during exercise or use heart rate monitors that wrap around the chest, or are included in sports watches.
However, thats not to say that exercising without getting the heart rate up to the target zone has no benefit, Bauman said.
What Are Heart And Pulse Rates
Heart rate is measured by counting the number of heart beats in one minute beats per minute. A heart beat is the sounds of the heart valves opening and closing in response to pressure differences. During each heart beat blood is pushed throughout the body, augmenting blood pressure and therefore the pulse rate in the main arteries. Accurate heart rates can be measured from the thorax with a heart rate transmitter or by electrocardiograph .
Pulse rate is the measure palpable blood pressure increases throughout the body that occurs with each heartbeat. Pulse rate is basically the physical sensation of a heart beat felt through the arterial vascular system. Pulse can be measured from the earlobe with a pulse meter known as a Photo Reflectance or Infrared Sensor Monitor. Your pulse can vary with body movements and should, therefore, be measured while at rest. An easy way to measure pulse rate is to place your fingers at the base of the thumb at the wrist, or at the neck, just next to your windpipe.
Read Also: Do Arteries Take Blood Away From The Heart
Is Pulse Rate The Same As Heart Rate
The same internal and external phenomena that modulate heart rate will also modulate pulse rate . However, any other physiological phenomena affecting the time delay between the R-peak of the ECG until the blood is transmitted through the circulation towards the PPG sensor , will further modulate the measured pulse rate such that it will differ from the heart rate, though only to a minor extent. Often, however, researchers will use the term HR when in fact they are measuring the rate of cardiac activity by monitoring mechanical circulatory activity using the PPG. Although both terms reflect the rate of cardiac activity, they should be using the term PR to more accurately reflect the technology used to compute this rate, as well as the possible physiological and extra-physiological factors that may influence it.
Various physiological factors may modulate this time delay, known as the pulse transit time, at different stages of the cardiovascular tree.
Firstly, the electromechanical coupling of the heart itself , then, the transmission of the mechanical activity of the contracting heart to accelerate the blood and the propagation of this impulse down the complex piping of the cardiovascular tree. Finally, there is the change in perfusion of the most peripheral tissues following the pulse that causes a change in the extent of circulation in these tissues, and therefore the amount of light reflected to the PPG sensor.
What Is Your Pulse
When your heart beats it pushes blood around your body. This heartbeat can be felt as your ‘pulse’ on your wrist or neck
Your pulse is measured by counting the number of times your heart beats in one minute. For example, if your heart contracts 72 times in one minute, your pulse would be 72 beats per minute . This is also called your heart rate.
A normal pulse beats in a steady, regular rhythm. However, in some people this rhythm is uneven, or ‘jumps about’. This is known as an irregular pulse.
You May Like: Watches With Heart Rate
Measuring Pulse Rate & Heart Rate
Something you may be wondering now is how to measure your heart rate and your pulse rate. First off, the heart rate is most accurately measured with the transmitter of a heart rate monitor or the electrodes from an EKG machine, right from the thorax.
On the other hand, the pulse rate can be measured using a pulse meter from the earlobe. Just keep in mind that pulse meters are only accurate indoors, particularly in settings with moderate amounts of ambient light. Due to changes in lighting, pulse meters are generally not accurate outdoors.
Your pulse rate can also be measured by palpating during rest. You can use your index fingers and thumb, hold them at the base of the thumb or wrist, and count hot many times your heart beats in 15 seconds, then multiply it by 4 to get an estimate of how many times per minute your heart is beating.
Effect Of Body Position On Heart Rate
A normal resting heart rate can be between 60 and 100 beats per minute, says Peter Santucci, MD, professor of cardiology at Maywood, Illinois-based Loyola University Medical Center. This rate can vary slightly with body position changes. Most notably, when you go from reclining to standing. Your heart rate may go up by 10 to 15 beats per minute.
According to the American Heart Association , after you go from a reclining or sitting position to a standing position, the increase in your pulse should settle back down after about 15 to 20 seconds. The AHA notes that body position is not the only thing that affects your resting heart rate. Other factors include:
- Higher air temperature and humidity, which can make your heartwork harder and increase heart rate.
- Emotions like stress or anxiety, which increase heart rate.
- Body size, especially obesity, which can increase the work of yourheart and your heart rate.
- Medications, which can both slow or raise heart rate.
Even though your reclining or resting heart rate can be normal between 60 and 100 beats per minute, very active people can have a resting heart rate as low as 40 and still be considered normal, the AHA says. Also, as explained by Harvard Health, some studies suggest that although a resting heart rate of up to 100 may be normal, a resting heart rate above 80 may indicate a higher risk for heart disease.
Recommended Reading: Does Benadryl Lower Heart Rate
You May Like: When Is Resting Heart Rate Too High
How A Ppg Sensor Works To Measure Cardiac Activity
PPG sensors measure blood circulation, which depends on the hearts pumping quality, and therefore reflects the mechanical activity of the heart. Usually, the PPG sensors are placed at peripheral sites such as the finger, the wrist, or even the ear, and therefore they usually measure peripheral mechanical activity of the heart.
The PPG is an optical technique that measures the perfusion through the blood vessels in the tissue under the sensor. Light from an LED is shined onto tissue, usually somewhere where it is comfortable to wear the sensor non-obtrusively, like the wrist. The sensor itself is typically a diode which translates the detected light intensity into the PPG signal: a series of pulses reflecting the pulsatile flow of blood.
Since the PPG is a measure of blood circulation , it reflects the mechanical activity of the heart rather than the electrical activity of the heart. Hence, it is not precise to refer to time periods between cardiac cycles in the PPG as the RR-interval . Similarly, it isnt precise to refer to the rate of cardiac intervals derived from the PPG as heart rate since it is a peripheral and mechanical signal of cardiac activity. Instead, terms such as the inter-beat-interval and pulse rate are more accurate.
Comparison of the ECG and PPG waveforms and intervals.
Recommended Reading: Can Lexapro Cause Heart Palpitations
Should I Be Concerned About Having High Blood Pressure And A Low Pulse
If youre taking blood pressure medication and have slightly high blood pressure and a low pulse, this generally isnt anything to be concerned about.
But if youre not taking any medication, its best to work with a doctor to figure out whats going on. This is especially true if you have symptoms of a low pulse, such as dizziness or shortness of breath.
The typical range of 60 to 100 beats per minute is both the average pulse measurement as well as the rate at which most peoples heart needs to beat to pump enough blood through their body.
Some people may simply have a lower pulse. Examples include athletes or those in very good shape. Theyve conditioned their heart muscle to be stronger. As a result, their heart pumps more effectively, meaning it doesnt need to beat as often. Learn more about why athletes have lower pulses.
Exercising can also temporarily raise your blood pressure. So, if you exercise regularly, you may have a naturally low pulse and higher blood pressure right after you work out.
Also Check: How Does Heart Disease Affect The Skeletal System
Don’t Miss: How To Reduce Heart Palpitations During Pregnancy
How To Take Your Pulse
Although you may be able to feel your blood pumping in a number of placesyour neck, the inside of your elbow, and even the top of your footyour wrist is probably the most convenient and reliable place to get a good pulse.
Press your index and middle fingers together on your wrist, below the fat pad of your thumb. Feel around lightly until you detect throbbing. If you press too hard you may suppress the pulse. You can probably get a pretty accurate reading by counting the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiplying that number by four.
The best time to get your resting heart rate is first thing in the morning, even before you get out of bed. To gauge your maximum heart rate, take your pulse immediately after exercising as vigorously as possible.
Is Your Pulse And Heart Rate The Same Thing
The heart rate is the number of times the heart beats in the space of a minute. The pulse rate is exactly equal to the heartbeat, as the contractions of the heart cause the increases in blood pressure in the arteries that lead to a noticeable pulse. Taking the pulse is, therefore, a direct measure of heart rate.
You May Like: Which Statement Describe A Relationship Between Protein/amino Acids And Heart Disease
How Do I Find My Pulse
Your wrist is the easiest place to find your pulse. Follow the steps below to find your pulse:
Also Check: Does Acid Reflux Cause Heart Palpitations
How To Measure Your Pulse
Don’t Miss: How Does Obesity Cause Heart Disease
Know The Difference Between Heart Rate And Pulse Rate
Pulse rate and heart rate essentially provide the same information, i.e. how fast a human heart is beating within a minute. Thus, there is no significant difference between heart rate and pulse.
However, these two can be differentiated on certain parameters such as heart rate is used for the measurement of the hearts heartbeats while a pulse rate is known for measuring the blood pressure rate. A heartbeat is responsible for pushing the blood within the body. This is responsible for causing a modification in the pulse and blood pressure in main arteries.
For adults, a normal heart rate in rest mode is measured from 60-100 beats per minute. Usually, a lower heart rate in a rest mode signifies more effective heart function and it is for better cardiovascular fitness. For instance, an athlete having a well-planned schedule may own a normal resting heart rate remaining around per minute 40 beats.
This is merely an introduction for the understanding of students by Vedantus experts. Keep calm as you are going to know it in detailed in the upcoming paragraphs lets have a closer look and enhance your knowledge:
Pulse Rate Variability As A Reliable Biomarker
Even though PRV can be influenced by factors not affecting HRV, even the same factors influencing both HRV and PRV may affect these in different ways and to different extents. Even when the PR and HR are exactly the same, their amount of variation is not guaranteed to be the same. For instance, pace-maker-implanted patients whose heart is artificially paced at a constant rate , still show PRV.
This difference is caused by the very origin of PRV: between the electrical activity that generates R peaks in the ECG and the peak on the PPG waveform used to identify the cardiac cycle, there are a number of variables that may modulate this time delay. These were already discussed previously when contrasting heart rate and pulse rate.
In conclusion, a growing number of authors reckon that is more precise to consider PRV as a separate but closely related biomarker than HRV. PRV contains the same information as HRV, as well as several more layers of information from other physiological sources, which should not be considered as errors when comparing to HRV.
You May Like: What Does Having A Heart Attack Feel Like