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Is my heart rate OK or too high?

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Carina1962

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I was at a friend's house last night and she showed me her new heart rate monitor. I had a go with it to check my heart rate and at first it was 99-100 even though i was just sitting down talking. I then got home and downloaded an app on my phone for a heart rate monitor and after testing several times, the reading remained consistently at around 74 which according to the app is classed as average. I was just wondering if i need to get it checked out by the GP? i excercise regularly but just need to lose a lot of weight which i am trying to do. No idea why it was so high to start with?
 
I find the best way to check my heart rate is to hold my pulse for 15 seconds and count the beats - multiply by 4 and you have your beats per minute.

Resting heart rates can vary a lot. Generally, the fitter you are, the lower your heart rate. In my 30s when I was running a lot more than I am now (and I was 20 years younger!) my resting heart rate was usually in the low-40s, sometimes even upper 30s. Most of my friends were around the 70-80 bpm mark, so yes this is a good/average level. I'm currently around 55bpm.

It's not unusual for your rate to rise quickly but again the sign of fitness is how quickly it returns to normal after exertion.

The reason why a low resting heart rate is good is because it relates to your maximum heart rate - the highest your heart will beat when you are really pushing yourself. There is a simple calculation of 220-your age to get an approximation of what your maximum will be, so if you are 40 then this would be 180 bpm. If you divide this by your resting heart rate then it tells you how much extra effort your heart is capable of compared to sitting still.

So, if your resting HR was 45 bpm, then you could work four times as hard before you hit your maximum. If your resting HR was 90 though, you could only work twice as hard. 🙂
 
carina62 said:
I was at a friend's house last night and she showed me her new heart rate monitor. I had a go with it to check my heart rate and at first it was 99-100 even though i was just sitting down talking. I then got home and downloaded an app on my phone for a heart rate monitor and after testing several times, the reading remained consistently at around 74 which according to the app is classed as average. I was just wondering if i need to get it checked out by the GP? i excercise regularly but just need to lose a lot of weight which i am trying to do. No idea why it was so high to start with?
Click to expand...

Some time ago I was concerned about my BP . my Gp said BP was OK. He had just checked it with cuff and stethoscope method. Said the surgery would not use automated systems as they were not too accurate/reliable and suggested next time I bring my machine (Boots `special`) in and he would do a comparison side by side
My machine was reading +10...ON AVERAGE, after a couple of goes.
so now use it only as a `rough` guide and have to remember to deduct 10. It will be going to see him again soon...
for its annual M.O.T. 😎
 
tejbat6 said:
Some time ago I was concerned about my BP . my Gp said BP was OK. He had just checked it with cuff and stethoscope method. Said the surgery would not use automated systems as they were not too accurate/reliable and suggested next time I bring my machine (Boots `special`) in and he would do a comparison side by side
My machine was reading +10...ON AVERAGE, after a couple of goes.
so now use it only as a `rough` guide and have to remember to deduct 10. It will be going to see him again soon...
for its annual M.O.T. 😎
Click to expand...

I might take mine along with me next time 🙂 I'm pretty sure it's fairly accurate though, as otherwise my BP would either be 'good' or far too low!
 
If you are worried after all the sound advice here see your doctor, it's why he's there and reassuarance for you.
 
your heart rate seems fine... be concerned if its constantly above 100 and your resting and aware of it. note any breathlessness or increased resp rate... see your doc in that case. my heart rate is on the faster side but im fine lol. my bp is always low!! the table top machines that you buy out of the shops are quite rubbish i wouldnt pay for one. i always insist on a manual withstethescope and sphyg. Im rather picky though lol.

never ever buy a wrist one or you will be panicking as the systolic on those are just rediculous! enough to provoke a panick attack hehe x
 
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