Today, quite a lot of people go in for sports. And in fact, this is very good, since a healthy lifestyle only benefits our body. Why measure your heart rate while running? This must be done in order to understand how correctly the load was selected during the training. Excessive strain can even harm the body and adversely affect the work of internal organs. By monitoring your heart rate while running, you can easily change the degree of exercise if necessary. This will allow you to get the best result from your workout. In a healthy person, the number of heartbeats and heart rate should be the same. In addition, measuring your heart rate will help you determine exactly how many calories you burned while running.
Normal performance
What is the optimal heart rate while running? The average value for light jogging or light load in a healthy person, leading an active lifestyle, is approximately 120-140 beats per minute. These data are very arbitrary and not indicative. In no case should they be taken into account when determining the normal heart rate while running. This indicator is individual, and only a specialist can help determine it.
How to determine the norm?
For each person, the average heart rate while running is calculated individually. When calculating, such indicators as physical fitness and well-being during the training should be taken into account. If you can maintain the necessary pace, while breathing evenly and correctly, through your nose, you feel good while running, which means that such a heart rate will be normal for you.
Training intensity
What is she like? Depending on the degree of intensity, running training can be divided into three types:
- Jogging: The maximum allowable heart rate is 130 to 150 beats per minute. The average duration of the workout is 20-40 minutes.
- Medium and long distances. The heart rate should not be higher than 150-170 beats per minute. The duration of the race is 10-20 minutes.
- On acceleration. The maximum allowable heart rate is up to 190 beats per minute. Running at this pace is recommended no longer than ten minutes.
Formulas for calculating
The above figures are considered averaged. To find out the exact value of a normal pulse for your body, you must use the following formula:
- For men under thirty years of age, the normal heart rate will be 220 - x (220 is the maximum allowable heart rate, x is the athlete's age).
- For women, the formula for calculating the maximum heart rate is 196 - x.
For example, for a man of 25 years, the pulse during running should not be more often than 195 beats per minute. By measuring your heart rate while running, you can accurately determine your normal rate. This will be the value at which you can normally run for the entire specified period of time, while maintaining smooth breathing and running speed. In this case, the pulse should not exceed the permissible maximum value determined by the formula.
Recommendations
Let's dwell on this in more detail. What should be the pulse while running? How to understand if you are not violating your norm? When, during the run, the pulse begins to exceed the permissible maximum value indicated for the selected category, it is necessary to go from jogging to a step and try to normalize it. After that, it will be possible to switch to running again, but at the same time constantly monitor the heart rate.
Such training will help to avoid dangerous loads on the body and even strengthen it. With this technique, the heart rate will cease to jump sharply as a result of physical activity over time. The pulse will increase moderately and smoothly, thereby gradually increasing the intensity of training.
Experienced athletes recommend talking to find their norm while running. At a normal pace, you can do this without much effort.
How to control the pulse?
So what do you need to know about this? How to measure heart rate while running? Control can be carried out manually or mechanically. The first way is as follows: before jogging, you press your fingers against the veins on your wrist or neck, look for a pulsating vessel and count the number of vibrations per minute of time. After that, run the distance, and then again monitor the performance.
You can control a person’s pulse while running with a heart rate monitor. This device is tightly worn on the wrist according to the principle of a clock and reads heart rate readings. However, it is worth considering that such a measurement does not always give an accurate result.
How to choose a heart rate monitor?
What you should pay attention to? You can measure your average heart rate while running with a heart rate monitor. The best devices are those that are worn above the elbow on the arm and have a special strap with a sensor for mounting on the chest. It is this equipment that professional athletes use to determine the value of the pulse during training.
Here are a couple of models of heart rate monitors that have all the necessary characteristics:
- Beurer PM18: made in the form of a wrist bracelet. You can find out your pulse with just one touch of the device. This device also helps determine the distance and calories burned, the amount of fat eliminated and the steps taken. Equipped with a built-in alarm clock, calendar and stopwatch. The device is enclosed in a waterproof shell, so it can be used while jogging in rainy weather and even for swimming.
- Torneo H-102. It consists of two parts, one of which is worn on the chest, and the other on the arm. To some, this principle of action may seem uncomfortable. However, almost all professional athletes use just such devices to determine heart rate. This device not only allows you to read readings, it also has a built-in clock and helps to determine the average calorie consumption. It has a built-in calendar and alarm clock. Like the previous model, the Torneo H-102 is waterproof.
What affects the pulse?
This issue should be given special importance. What factors affect your heart rate while running? The norm may not always be supported.
An increase in heart rate can be promoted by factors such as:
- Excess weight. Overweight people can observe a significant increase in heart rate. To normalize the heart rate, simply reduce the load. In this case, this means lowering the pace of running.
- Physical training. In people who lead an active lifestyle, the heart beats more slowly during running than ordinary people. This is easily explained. The fact is that the athlete’s heart is adapted to constant physical activity and is less likely to contract.
- Smoking and alcohol abuse. The heart of a smoker and a drinker beats during training in an enhanced rhythm, which is manifested in a significant increase in heart rate.
- Air temperature. In cold weather, body temperature will be much lower. Accordingly, the heart rate will begin to decrease. In summer, the opposite effect is observed: with increasing ambient temperature, the indicator accelerates significantly. In terms of heart rate, summer jogging can be equated to intensive training in the gym.
- Stress and strain. Experts recommend not running into trouble while running. So that the pulse does not jump, try to think about your own health, breathing, step size, and not about difficulties at work. You can just listen to nice music.
An increase in heart rate during running may indicate that the heart began to pump blood more actively through the veins, supplying oxygen to all organs and tissues. Naturally, this leads to an increase in the load on the organ.
Recommended Performance
In order for running to be pleasurable and not harm the body, it is necessary to learn how to run at normal heart rates. During the first trainings, an unprepared person can quickly raise the heart rate, lose his breath. In this case, for recovery, it is recommended to temporarily switch to walking. If you continue training in the same rhythm, there is a high risk of various problems.
A normal pulse during running is an individual indicator that depends on the state of the body and its physical capabilities. The better prepared the athlete, the lower his heart rate will be. Regular running training contributes to a significant strengthening of the cardiovascular system. As a result, the athlete becomes sturdier and stronger without serious health consequences.
Conclusion
A high heart rate while running is not a reason to stop training. It is enough just to slightly reduce the load, wait until the heartbeat returns to normal. It is possible that during the first races you will walk more. However, over time, your heart muscle will gradually become more trained and stronger. The pulse remains steady, and breathing ceases to go astray. Running at normal rates not only gives pleasure, but also has a positive effect on the general condition of the body.
Such training contribute to the normalization of the cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, musculoskeletal system. In addition, the discussed loads favorably affect the production of endorphins, or hormones of happiness. Running helps to distract from bad thoughts and get rid of signs of depression. Doctors even compare the effect of training with taking antidepressants: they tone the body and normalize the functioning of the nervous system.