The Reality of Heart Rate
The heart is actually a muscle the size of a fist that beats to keep us alive, does a whole lot of lovin', and pumps blood through the body on the daily.
Knowing our heart rate can tell us a bunch about our overall health and fitness.
The heart rate, also known as pulse, is the number of times the heart beats per minute. This number varies from person to person. It changes throughout the day depending on what we are doing and through the lifespan.
When I first start working with clients, I teach them how to take a baseline reading of their heart rate so that in future sessions we can observe how and why these numbers change. It's a great way to tune in with the body and get a sense of how we can take better care of ours.
To practice taking your own heart rate, find your pulse using your index and middle finger on either your wrist or neck. When you are in the right spot, you will feel movement beneath the fingers.
Using a stopwatch, count the number of beats in fifteen seconds and multiply by four. This total number is the times the heart beats per minute.
First, take your resting heart rate when you're calm and relaxed. Usually this number is between 60-100 beats per minute. Your resting heart rate is the heart pumping the lowest amount of blood you need because you’re not exercising.
Then, following moderate or strenuous exercise, take the heart rate again and see how it is different. It is likely the number is much higher.
After allowing yourself to recover and return to normal breathing, take your heart rate again.
As your fitness level and health advance, the amount of time it takes for your heart rate to resume to a resting rate will be less because the heart muscle is adapting to the effort you are making to strengthen it.
For more help on taking care of your heart health, book an online training appointment.
Leave a comment below and let us all know what you are grateful your heart can do!
An attitude of gratitude keep us healthy and positive!
Lots of love,
Cara
