PULSE – PART OF YOUR HEART JOURNEY
Your Pulse – Why it’s a part of your Heart Journey
So, what exactly is your pulse, and why do we pay attention to it? Your pulse is a physical measure of your heart rate. Or how many times your heart beats in a minute.
Why does it matter?
Your heart rate can be a measure of your general cardiovascular health. If your heart is strong, it can pump out blood more efficiently. And your heart rate will often be slower at rest.
A strong heart also recovers more quickly from exercise.
How we can use our heart rate
Health experts often recommend 30 – 60 minutes of moderate activity at least 3 times a week to promote heart health.
So, what qualifies as moderate activity? One way to measure that metric is to use your heart rate.
How do you do that?
First, measure your maximum heart rate: 220 – your age.
For me, that’s 220 – 57 = 1632.
Next, take that number and your moderate activity range is 64 – 75% of that number.
For me, that range would be 104 – 122 beats per minute.
Another easy way to measure whether you are doing moderate activity is the “talk test.”
If you are doing moderate activity, you can talk but not sing while exercising. If you are doing vigorous activity, you can only say a few words while exercising.
How to get some moderate activity
You can do some moderate activity in a lot of different ways.
A brisk walk
Bike rides
Housework
Yardwork
Taking an exercise class
If you’d like to explore ways to improve your heart health, schedule a fitness assessment with PFP or try one of our small group courses!
We look forward to seeing you!