[Vision2020] Heart Rate:Vigorous Activity

[Tbertruss at aol.com]

Tim et. al.

Tim wrote:

"Walking is not considered vigorous physical activity.  In order for vigorous 
physical
activity to take place, a person’s heart rate has to be at or near their 
maximum HR.
Students have learned how to calculate their Max HR and they use this number 
along 
with HR monitors to monitor their level of physical activity."

This is a very misleading statement.  Exercise physiologists use a very well 
studied and recognized system for monitoring heart rate for safe and effective 
aerobic exercise which aims at hitting what is called the "target heart rate" 
and sustaining it for a sufficient period of time.  The target heart rate is 
well below a persons maximum.  To sustain a heart rate near or at maximum for 
an extended period of time requires a level of effort that no exercise 
physiologist would force a client to undergo unless they were at a very high level of 
fitness and/or also possibly seeking to compete in very strenuous sports, 
like running a mile as fast as you possibly can.

The target heart rate will vary a lot from person to person and with age.  
Someone with a maximum heart rate of 180 bpm can exercise at 130 bpm for a 
sustained period and be well within the target heart rate zone.  This rate of 
exercise qualifies as sufficiently "vigorous," if maintained for at least 20 
minutes, to provide a significant effect on overall conditioning and health benefits 
if done at least 4 times a week.

There are disagreements as to how long and how often it is needed to exercise 
at your target heart zone to get most of the health and conditioning benefits 
this can provide.  No doubt this varies tremendously from person to person.  
Once I ran 3 miles at 7 minutes per mile and only raised by heart rate to 
around 100 bpm.  A walk in the park!

But any exercise is beneficial.  Walking 3 miles a day, even at a casual 
pace, does provide benefits to health and conditioning.  Exercise at or near 
maximum heart rate would never be necessary for someone who is only seeking fun, 
health, recreation and reasonable fitness, and not trying to compete or perform 
at the outer limits of their maximum abilities.

Info on different exercise rates and how to calculate your target heart rate 
zone below:

http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_exerpres_sma.htm

http://www.thewalkingsite.com/thr.html

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V2020 Post by Ted Moffett

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