High Heart Rate

[JuanaSmith]

I'm early 50s, a bit unfit (exercise is daily dog walking) Started c25k at week 3, but my heart rate goes uo to 180+. I feel ok, bur should I stop? How worrying is it?

What's your resting HR? Mine has always been quite high, when I started exercising I was also 180+, and I'm also in my 50s. As I've got fitter, both numbers have come down, although the evil stair master still has me pushing 170. If you re concerned, check with your GP, or start C25K from wk 1 until your rate improves

@littlemisspickles crikey the stair master - go you!!

My heart rate would go so high on that I'd have to stop as worried about passing out 😂 but I was extremely unfit then...

@JuanaSmith I'm older at 62 and my resting heart rate is around 55. When exercising I don't like it to go more than 145 - just because of how I feel at that pace. Personally I would have thought 180/min is too much - but not an expert here.

I’m quite fit and a similar age and mine goes up to 180 when I run and put effort in. RHR is usually around 55-60.

Good effort @MindaBelinda - probably lacking in feistiness here....

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/medical/ask-the-experts/heart-rate-exercise

Moderate intensity is better. I'm 50 and fit and my heart rate goes up to 155 with something short and intense like a spin class, but it is for short bursts even then. If you are unfit you risk permanently damaging your heart with over exertion. When I run my heart rate is 130 - 145. If it gets to the point when you can't talk, slow down and walk. Walking is great exercise anyway.

Your theoretical maximum is 220 minus your age. When exercising, you want to be at about 60% of this number, although depending on what you're doing, it may be more or less.

The biggest indicator for me is always - do i feel comfortable, is this sustainable, is it sensible for me to continue. Not just during, but after too.

My heart condition was actually picked up after I was sent for investigations by a very switched on GP after my heart rate never reduced despite me losing 50% of my body weight and massively increasing my exercise. I also had an extensive family history which pointed to an inherited condition being a potential, just to reassure you!

In terms of c25k, why did you start at week 3 i stead of week 1 (unless ive misinterpreted that?). The whole point is to build up gradually, and you can repeat weeks if necessary. Id go back to week 1 or 2 and see how that feels.

Not worrying at all on its own.

First off, ignore any formula that aims to predict your maximum heart rate. None is reliable. As an example, I am 49 and my max heart rate is 201. The most popular formula (220-age) would suggest a max of 171. The only way to find out your true maximum is to do a maximum heart rate test (although I wouldn't recommend that at all for a new runner). There is a detailed discussion here https://runbundle.com/articles/heart-rate-training

When you're new to running you will recruit muscle groups and fibres inefficiently, so heart rate is not a particularly good guide to intensity. After a good few months of consistency you'll notice your heart rate for gentle and moderate running drops considerably.

Thanks for all the comments. My resting heart rate in about 55. I've always had fairly low resting heart rate. I didn't start on week 3, that's just when I've hit issues. I will take it more slowly. I actually feel not too bad at 180bpm and feel like I could do more. But don't want to hurt myself!

I am a similar age and mine goes to between 160 and 170 when I am doing parkrun.

It's about 150 on a social run.

Resting HR is 60-70.

I think some people just have faster heart rates. And a good test is how fast it drops again, if you feel normal again very quickly and able to talk normally, that's a good sign that all is good.

And finally are you using a running watch or chest strap. Running watches are not that accurate, but give you a general trend.

I've had a fastt heart rate all my life. I remember when we learned to take each others pulses in biology at school. I was probably 11. Mine was way above everyone else's.
I had to see a cardiologist about twenty years later, when having tests for something else. He gave me a clean bill of health and when I mentioned the fast pulse, he just laughed and said that some people are like that, and I wasn't going to 'run out of heartbeats'.

But I take my hands away from the pulse monitors on the treadmill and bike handles, because it's too scary to watch 🤣

I have exactly the same thing, and also a resting heart rate of around 55. Not sure if this is healthy or not.

Heart rates are pretty individual. The ‘formula’ would have me at around 180 max but my max HR is 193 and I can do mid-170s for at least an hour. If I was doing say a hard 5k, I might sit at 180-185 the whole time. I just did a half-marathon and sat at 163 average for that.

As long as you feel okay, I wouldn’t stress overly about HR.