My hear rate went to 178 when running, now having panic attack that I will die, please help

[Whattthefuck]

I have been trying to combat my anxiety (mainly heath related) with exercise.

Today I ran for 12 mins and 5 mins out of a 45 min walk. A message flashed up on the treadmill screen saying my heart rate was 178. I felt a bit puffed but nothing special, I'm not very fit so this was me running at my max but didn't feel sick or anything.

I've now googled max heart rate for my age and really scared I have damaged my heart and will have a heart attack

I don't have palpitations now, but sometimes do get them with an anxiety attack, if I start to get them how will I know if that is a heart attack brought on by exercising or just my anxiety?

I think I'd stay off Google if I were you.

You have not damaged your heart!!!! 178 is high but depending on your age not off the chart. Are you generally anxious about health issues?

The most important bit is how soon it comes back down afterwards.

Mine goes very high when I am running but quickly comes back to my normal afterwards

I'm 33, yes I have anxiety that is mostly to do with health.

It hadn't occurred to me to be anxious about this until the treadmill heart monitor warned me it was high.

178 at age 33 isn't high

You have not damaged your heart. You will know what an anxiety attack feels like. It is a bit like a heart attack but isn't. I have health related anxiety and I know how all encompassing it can be. But you are ok. You will be fine. And taking steps to improve your health can only help. Do you know what's at the root of your anxiety?

That's not abnormal if you are exercising hard. And it won't have damaged your heart! See someone about your anxiety.

Mine goes super high! I think it just means I'm unfit

That's fine for exercising hard!

If you were dying of a heart attack you wouldn't be able to look on the internet! It's normal for your heart rate to woosh up if you're exercising and you're not an athlete. X

Mine goes ridiculously high, really panicked my personal trainer. I went to my doctor he wasn't concerned I would get it checked just in case mine goes up to 190 sometimes

Ok. IIRC the max recommended is 220 less your age, so you have only just trickled over that, for a very brief time. It really is fine.

Do you have particular techniques you use to manage your anxiety? You need to use those and as PP said do not Google!

I do see a doctor about my anxiety, who thinks exercise can only help, but it occurred to me that loads of people have heart murmers etc that aren't routinely tested for.

Thanks all of you though, good to know I probably am fine.

Don't panic, honestly. As a PP said, 178 is high-ish but not ridiculously so.

The British Heart Foundation suggest a rule of thumb for working out your maximum heart rate is to minus your age from 220. But even this is a very rough guide, some people will creep higher than this.

You've said in your post that you're rather unfit, your heart rate is going to be high for a while until you build up your fitness levels.

Keep at it! Don't let your anxiety put you off doing something hugely beneficial for your health.

I used to use the treadmills at the gym. They would regularly warn me I had a high heart rate. They were not reliable!
If you are starting a new exercise regime the advice is to get a check up first. Many years ago DH discovered his high blood pressure that way.

178 at 33 isn't going to kill you, OP. It just means you're working hard. It's also a self fulfilling prophecy - get stressed and worried and your heart rate will rise.

Try and relax. If you're in the gym working out, you're doing well!

I'm 29 and I regularly go over 185 for short bursts. Chill. It's fine.

Part of my anxiety is very much centred on the fact that I feel like I always make the wrong decision and something grim happens because of my stupidity.

So feeling like here I am trying to improve health, both mental and phsyical - but mistakenly doing it all wrong and giving myself a heart attack in the process.

That was where my mind went. Thanks though I have calmed down now, stopped the panic before it got a good hold.

Blood pressure is normal or a bit low if anything.

Mine hits 190. I haven't died! Getting fitter has made no difference at all.

You will be fine. It's good for you to raise your heart rate, get out of breath and puffed a few times a week. It's what nature intended.

What you should aim to be able to hit in high intensity exercise is 210 - your age - so you are absolutely spot on. It's all good.

Oh... and me and my running club friends have a theory that gyms are over-sensitive about heart rates as they need to cover themselves insurance wise when mega-unfit smoking guests use the equipment and push themselves OTT.

Were you properly synced up with the treadmill to accurately measure your personal heart rate? Because if not, then that was just an average measurement it will flash up, just like the calorie burner, mainly based on the speeds and distance you were doing.

A high heart rate is not a bad thing when exercising at capacity, so long as it returns to normal within a reasonable time. Equally many people don't realise that NOT achieving a faster heart rate when exercising can also be a warning sign.

Keep up the exercise, it is really good for exercise, but see a Dr if it's bothering you to get some proper advice. Wearing a fitbit type tracker would give you more accurate readings for you.

(a) That HR is fine while running (b) heart monitors on treadmills are absolutely crap.

Mine shoots to 200 and I'm not as young as you, it seems to happen when I've been working long hours and I'm tired, I stop wait for it to drop and start again, usually happens twice at most and then stays in normal range till I work 24 hour weekend again.