Heart Rate
Overview
These activities provide exprience to measure your pulse, resting heart rate, exercise heart rate, and recovery time. Begin by learning how to measure your pulse and finding your resting pulse rate.
Pulse rate
- Find your pulse at your wrist. Make sure you can find it whenever you want it.
- Count the number of pulses you feel in exactly 15 seconds.
- Take this count three times, and record each one on the pulse chart below.
- Multiply each count by 4 to find the number of pulse beats per minute.
- Find your average pulse rate by adding the three numbers in the "number of pulses per minute" column and then dividing the total by 3.
| Trial | Number of pulses in 15 seconds |
x 4 = | Number of pulses per minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | x 4 = | ||
| 2. | x 4 = | ||
| 3. | x 4 = | ||
| 4. | x 4 = | ||
| Add the pulses per minute together. = | ______ Average number of pulses per minute | ||
Heart rate resting and exercising
Part One: resting pulse
My resting rate today is ______ pulses per minute.
Part Two: exercise pulse
According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate: for children 10 years and older, and adults (including seniors) is 60 - 100 beats per minute for well-trained athletes is 40 - 60 beats per minute.
Hittin’ the Target
If you don't have a heart rate monitor you can take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side. Use the tips of your first two fingers (not your thumb) to press lightly over the blood vessels on your wrist. Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to find your beats per minute. You want to stay between 50 percent to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range is your target heart rate.
Know Your Numbers
This table shows estimated target heart rates for different ages. Your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age.
In the age category closest to yours, read across to find your target heart rate. Heart rate during moderately intense activities is about 50-69% of your maximum heart rate, whereas heart rate during hard physical activity is about 70% to less than 90% of the maximum heart rate.
The figures are averages, so use them as general guidelines.
| Age | Target HR Zone 50-85% | Average Maximum Heart Rate, 100% |
|---|---|---|
| 20 years | 100-170 beats per minute | 200 beats per minute |
| 30 years | 95-162 beats per minute | 190 beats per minute |
| 35 years | 93-157 beats per minute | 185 beats per minute |
| 4o years | 90-153 beats per minute | 180 beats per minute |
| 45 years | 88-149 beats per minute | 175 beats per minute |
| 50 years | 85-145 beats per minute | 170 beats per minute |
| 55 years | 83-140 beats per minute | 165 beats per minute |
| 60 years | 80-136 beats per minute | 160 beats per minute |
| 65 years | 78-132 beats per minute | 155 beats per minute |
| 70 years | 75-128 beats per minute | 150 beats per minute |
Part Three: pulse recovery time
- Find your pulse and get ready to count.
- When your teacher says "Count," take your pulse for 15 seconds.
- When your teacher says, "Stop and record," write your count in the box next to 0.0.
- Find your pulse again.
- Listen for your teacher to say "count."
- Repeat the counting and recording procedure.
- Keep doing this for 10 minutes, even if your pulse rate reaches your resting rate.
- If you miss a count, skip that box and wait for the next count signal.
| Minutes After Exercise | Pulses per15 seconds | X 4 = | Pulses per Minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 0.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 1.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 1.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 2.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 2.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 3.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 3.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 4.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 4.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 5.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 5.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 6.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 6.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 7.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 7.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 8.0 | X 4 = | ||
| 8.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 9.5 | X 4 = | ||
| 10.0 | X 4 = |