Not sure I am pushing myself hard enough

[Menora]

I am not a cardio person, I really struggle with it. I have always had myself down as someone who is relatively unfit in my mind and doesn’t like exercise. I am trying to lose weight.

I did however find that I liked weights and Pilates and have been getting into it. I do a little cardio at the gym when I go alongside weights

I invested in a cheapish wearable watch (with good reviews) that tells me my heart rate etc. it seems fairly accurate - I have manually checked my pulse against it. How accurate really are these? As it turns out that I am absolutely not getting my HR up at all past 100bpm very regularly! even on a rowing machine for 5 mins I am not getting much past 110bpm? So I am not even getting into a fat burning zone 😂

My resting heart rate is between 65 and 45bpm (45 is asleep) which I assume is good, and I have better cardio fitness than I have been willing to admit…

I tested this on my nemesis…. the hateful cross trainer and got up to 130bpm.

I don’t think I am doing enough? and have better cardio fitness than I thought?

I am considering getting a training session with a PT to get me started as I am unsure where to begin. Any advice?

Do you usually go for longer than 5 mins? It takes a while to warm up and your heart rate will rise typically over a longer time than 5 mins unless absolutely caning it.
So if you did a brisk (13-14mph) walk for 30 mins you would probably find that it starts to reach the higher levels towards the end depending on your fitness.
Do you feel out of breath/like you could hold a conversation?
In any case, exercise at 110 is still great for you and weights even more so, so if you're reaching your goals don't stress about it!

@JumpingJills I don’t usually do longer than 5 mins at a time on rowing as it hurts my back tbh. I do circuits around the equipment so I warm up on a cardio machine and then do intermittent bits of cardio but mostly weights and exercises like squats with a weighted ball, sit ups etc

I did a really fast walk on an incline for 15 mins on a tread mill and that got me to 111bpm so I assume I need to start running? The cross trainer did push me a lot so I think I know deep down what I need to do!

I'm not out of breath at all and HR goes back down really fast too. I think this is psychological I am anxious and this holds me back?

Try Caroline Girvan for weights
and Growingannanas for HIIT.

Increase the resistance on the cross trainer. Same time but more work.

Sorry busy week and just saw this. HR returning to normal quickly is a great sign and one of the measures of fitness so it may just be that you need to either go longer or harder if you want to raise your HR. I know what you mean about the psychological barrier! What I found helpful when getting back into exercise was adding in super short "sprints" - going much faster for 15-30 seconds and then letting the HR drop right back down. Doing this at the end of songs is a good way to pace it (final big chorus, run, then back down and steady pace) and test what works for you. From what you've said, you're probably fitter than you think so it'll be exciting to see what you can do!

Thanks. I bought an Apple Watch in the end as I have no confidence in the cheap watch I bought! So I hope this is going to provide a more accurate account of my exercising HR

I am similar, I find it really hard to get my heart rate up through exercise. Interestingly I find a hot shower/bath or sex the most effective for raising it!

Weights above your heart/head should push your heart rate up, so lateral raises/triceps etc.

I'm thinking you probably haven't yet tried Caroline Girvan...?!!

Interestingly I have been doing Caroline Girvan iron since august and my heart rate still does not go up much. Not brave enough to try epic or one of her faster programnes though! It is weird I get out of breadth doing 'the maker' or some of her other quicker reps in iron but my heart rate does not budge much.

@Bubbles254 we will just have to have lots of sex 😂

The reason I am not doing many homework outs like this Caroline lady are many, partly I just know I don’t push myself enough at home no one is watching so I will be lazy and sit down or do half of it secondly my set up at home doesn’t lend itself to a great experience, I’ve tried. I know if I have bothered to drive to a gym I will make more effort in working out and increase the intensity. I am not focused enough to maintain something at home based on my own efforts. I don’t know why. Well I don’t really like exercise all that much but I am trying to like it!

Just sounds like you have a healthy heart?

Mine gets to 175/180 on the cross trainer but that's because I'm so unfit I could die any second.

What's your VO2 max on the watch?

Your max heart rate should be 220 - your age. Give or take 10% but if it doesn't get there it's probably because you're healthy and it doesn't need to. DPs doesn't get over 100 ever.

45 rhr overnight is very good ! I don't think you need to worry overly!

Also if you really want to test it, go on a bicycle thing. Do 30 seconds full pelt 30 seconds slow for a few times. I got my heart rate to 213 once doing that.

I know you said you're not a cardio person... but have you considered C25K and speed walking it?

2.5yrs ago l did no exercise at all and after being told that my obese weight was causing me to get pre-diabetes, l started on WW and C25K. I hate being out of breath even now so l don't run...l just plod.

Ok so reporting back from a gym workout with Apple Watch! It doesn’t have the Vo2 thing it just does heart rate

but it proves my other watch was not working properly as I got up to 144bmp caining myself on the rowing machine (my abs are agonising 😭 as I also did sit ups with a heavy ball)

I did a kind of circuit HIIT thing around the gym mixed with weights and cardio for an hour. I got sweaty. I think it’s all fine!

but my sleeping HR is definitely in the 40’s and I seem to recover very fast

@BurntOutGirl I also hate being out of breath! I get lung burn and feel sick so want to stop. I have only tried c25k once. I could try it again see how it goes although I have a dodgy knee

You should have vo2 on the health app on your iPhone. In the heart section. Mines as old as time (series 4).

Example here

Walk at 13 - 14 mph. I could never manage that

I mean that's world record marathon pace, I'm not sure many of us could manage that!

13mph is around world record pace for the marathon. It’s about a 4 min 30 mile pace. In 30 min you’d do about 6.5 miles.

If I’m doing “pacing” walking then I can do about 9 min/km or about 14.5 min per mile. In 30 min I’d do just over 2 miles.

Race walkers do go pretty fast but I think your standard person would not manage to walk at 13 mph for 30 minutes

@NewYearNewPyjamas is that the variability? Mine is 52

my Vo2 is blank on my health app
it could be I haven’t done something to set it off yet

I will keep trying!

I think you're in the main screen. There should be a heart section too. I think you need to press back or maybe browse and then into heart.

Wrist based HR on a rowing machine (or in the boat for that matter) is usually way off as the grip etc changes the count. Mine was about half what it actually was when it remembered to connect to the chest strap during a particularly flaky phase. And, if your back is hurting on the rowing machine, technique is wrong and or you've put the resistance too high.

Usually takes a while for enough data to get Vo2 max, and certainly, with Garmins, it only gives you that for running and cycling.

I think 3-4 mph is more realistic tbh.