Running & heartrate

[Trickymoments]

I've just started C25K on the treadmill. There's a sensor that tells you your heart rate. Obviously mine increases a fair bit while I'm doing it but is there a maximum? I'm kind of worried about going from zero fitness to suddenly having a really increased heart rate but I guess that's the point of exercise isn't it?

There is a formula that suggests 220 minus your age as a maximum. In reality everyone is different.

In the early days your HR will go high, then as your body adapts and becomes efficient it will decrease over time.

I was about to start a thread on this and then spotted this one. I've been doing C25k lately for the third time (!!). I've got a Fitbit and now that I'm doing longer runs (I'm on 28 min runs now) my heart rate is in peak for 20 mins approx and goes up to around 164. I'm worried that's too high for too long.....does anyone else have any Fitbit running stats that will reassure me. I run very slowly and can still talk!

When I run my Fitbit records almost all of it at peak heart rate , so it can be at peak for almost an hour :) must be normal

Oh good! Would you call yourself fit, Zame?

Those max heart rate calculations are theoretically the max it could be, not the max that is safe. The max that is safe is just however high it goes without you passing out or anything. Your body will tell you when it is too high because you will naturally slow down etc. Basically, if you can physically exercise at that intensity for that length of time, it's normal and fine!

As you get fitter, your heart still works just as hard, you just go a bit faster! Even when I was training at national level for my sport a few years ago, you still do some work at 90%+ of your max heart rate!

Thank you - that is very reassuring and makes sense!