's motd Thursday Sept 2, 2010 - Heart Rates

[Guest guest]

CAN YOU HEAR

MY HEARTBEAT?

Thursday, 02 September 2010

When I began doing my workout

videos way back when, I learned how to check my heart

rate. After doing several aerobic numbers, we'd begin

walking in place as we took our heart rates. We'd

find the big artery in the side of our necks, hold it

with our index and third finger then count the number

of beats we felt for 15 seconds. Then, you'd multiply

that number by four to get your heart rate.

It was so funny because a lot of

people couldn't find their artery and then some people

didn't know how to count! LOL. But anyway, that

procedure went out the window when the Perceived

Exertion Chart was created.

When you do my DVDs, during the workout, a Perceived

Exertion Chart will come up on the screen. And these

days, you can even buy a fancy heart monitor to wear

around your arm while you're working out to help keep

up with how hard you're working out.

Now ya' know, the hearts a funny thing. It doesn't

like when it's beating too slowly and doesn't like

when it's beating too fast, either. So if you're

working out and it's more like you're strolling down

the street window shopping, then your heart is not

working hard enough. Now as you review the Perceived

Exertion Chart, you'll note that if you're huffing and

puffing and can barely catch your breath, you're

working out way too hard. And if you're working out

like that, truth is, some people can end up having a

heart attack or a stroke.

That's why it's important for you to aim at hitting

about the middle of that Perceived Exertion Chart.

That's what I do. And to help educate yourself on the

rules, I've

included this link from the Centers For Disease

Control that will help you figure out the

intensity of various exercise activities.

You know how excited I get in

class. The music goes on, we all start dancing and,

I'm telling you, I just get lost in the class. I

sweat a lot! Just six minutes into class,

the sweat has already begun pouring from my pores!

But I always make sure I can catch my breath so I can

talk and work out at the same time. Hey, teaching an

aerobics class is not easy. You have to instruct and

make sure everyone's doing the exercises properly.

Plus you know how I like to sing while teaching class,

too. (Thank you, Dear Lord, for my strong lungs.) If

I feel I'm pushing myself too much...I back

off a little and find "the middle" again. I work to

stay there and keep all of my students working out at

that level, too.

I always begin my classes with an aerobics warm-up to

get everyone's heart rate going. Then I rhythmically

stretch my upper and lower body getting ready for the

cardio part of our workout. After the cardio segment

of class is over, I bring our heart rates down with

some gentle stretching.

The heart likes it when you're

drinking water during your workout, by the way.

That's because when you get dehydrated, it forces your

heart to work harder than it needs to.

So the next time you take a walk,

workout to an exercise DVD or ride a stationary bike,

remember the Perceived Exertion Chart I shared with

you today. And make sure you're working out at a healthy

pace!

Love,

[Guest guest]

>It was so funny because a

lot of people couldn't find their artery and then

some people didn't know how to count! LOL.

I'm horrible when it comes to taking my pulse! Even doctors have a

problem finding it at the wrist and usually resort to just listening

with the stethoscope. That's the main reason I finally broke down

and invested in a heart rate monitor to wear when exercising. SO

much easier - just look at the watch to see the heart rate!

> But anyway, that procedure

went out the window when the Perceived Exertion

Chart was created.

Not everywhere. My doc gave me a specific range of numbers to keep

my heart rate in. When I was in cardiac rehab they had that chart on

the wall but I was told to ignore that one and look at this other

one they had, instead. It was a list of pain levels - 0 is no chest

pain, 1 was sight chest pressure or short of breath, 2 was both

pressure and breathlessness, etc. Even when my heart rate was up in

the top of the target zone my pain was still in the 0 portion of the

pain scale, so they were happy.

But if I went by the exertion scales, I was ALWAYS at the "This

isn't fun any more" level because I hate to exercise. Even when it

was slow and easy *something* would hurt, whether the plantar

fasciitis in my feet, the neuritis in my neck, arthritis in my spine

or any number of joints, or the sciatica in my hips.

>When you do my DVDs, during the workout, a

Perceived Exertion Chart will come up on the

screen.

It's easier for me to know the exact heart rate because, all kidding

aside, I can do an entire or Sansone video

and my heart rate barely breaks into the 90's, not even in the

lowest number of my target zone. But put me on the treadmill with a

slight incline and within 5 minutes I'm up there, right in the

center of my target zone, even when walking at speeds slower than

the "walking" in 's videos. It uses a whole different set of

muscles and is a lot harder work because the body is actually being

propelled a distance, rather than just marching in place or moving

just a few steps side to side.

> The music goes on, we all

start dancing and, I'm telling you, I just get lost

in the class. I sweat a lot! Just six

minutes into class, the sweat has already begun

pouring from my pores!

I don't get like that with my videos until I hit around the 20

minute mark, but on the treadmill I'm like , soaked before 10

minutes is up.

>The heart likes it when

you're drinking water during your workout, by the

way.

Here's something else I have a problem with -- I can NOT drink while

moving. I have to stop and drink, then start moving again.

Unfortunately this stopping slows the heart rate down, which is why

I try not to drink during a workout but load up before and after.

Sue in NJ