You’ve got a smart watch and are tracking your heart rate – now what?
I don’t have one. And I don’t really want one. Yeah, some of the things they do are pretty cool, but I’d need glasses to see what it says. Most of the people I know wear one, though. A smart watch. If you’ve got one, you know it tracks lots of things, such as your heart rate. You know your heart rate goes up and it goes down. But what does your heart rate variability really mean? And why is it important to keep track of your heart rate?
If you’re paying attention to your heart rate’s highs and lows, then you should know your average resting heart rate. The American Heart Association says that your resting heart rate should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute for a normal adult. Very active people or athletes can have normal resting heart rates as low as 40 beats per minute. But what does a higher resting heart rate signify?
Higher resting heart rates mean that your heart is working harder to circulate your blood throughout your body. And it could mean that not enough blood or oxygen is reaching your brain, organs, or tissues. AARP also indicates that a higher resting heart rate is normal with age.
A higher heart rate is common when we exercise, though. Those heart rate by age graphics about two-thirds of the way through a workout video never seem to go high enough when I’m taking my heart rate. It’s frustrating. I’m not too old to be exercising, and I want to check my status as well.
But it’s an easy formula to figure out the target your heart rate should be when exercising:
Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age.
Your target heart rate during exercise according to the AHA should be 50 – 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Easy enough to calculate. Especially with one of those handy-dandy smart watch calculators. So, get up, get sweaty, and hit those targets.
Of course, if you’re concerned about your heart rate, ask your doctor. Also, before you begin any exercise program, check with your medical provider.