Filed under: Muscle, Physical — arlene @ 1:49 am
The heart is a muscle; to become stronger it must be exercised like any other muscle in the body. If the heart is exercised regularly, its strength increases; if not, it becomes weaker. Contrary to the belief that strenuous work harms the heart, research has found no evidence that regular, progressive exercise is bad for the normal heart. In fact, the heart muscle will increase in size and power when called upon to extend itself. The increase in size and power allows the heart to pump a greater volume of blood with fewer strokes per minute. For example, the average individual has a resting heart rate between seventy and eighty beats per minute, while it is not uncommon for a trained athlete’s pulse to be in the low fifties or even in the forties. (more…)
Filed under: Aerobic, Programs, Trainer — arlene @ 1:43 am
Once the pulse is located, the heart rate can be determined in beats per minute. At rest, this is done simply by counting the number of beats in one minute. To determine exercise heart rate, it is best to count heart beats or pulses during exercise. However, to count the pulse during most activities is difficult. Machines do exist that can count heartbeats during exercise but they are not available to most people. The most practical method is to count the pulse immediately after exercise. During exercise, the heart rate increases; immediately after exercise, it begins to slow down or return to normal. In fact, the heart rate has already slowed considerably within one minute after exercise ceases. The key is to locate the pulse quickly and to count the rate for a short period of time. A full one-minute count after exercise does not give a good estimate of exercise heart rate, even if the pulse is quickly located, because the heart rate during the end of the count is much slower than it was during exercise. Keep moving while quickly locating the pulse, then stop and take a fifteen-second count. Multiply the number of pulses counted in a fifteen-second period by four to convert heart rate to beats per minute. (more…)
Filed under: Aerobic, Physical, Programs, Trainer — arlene @ 1:41 am
There is an amount of exercise that is best for reaping the benefits of regular physical activity. It appears that some exercise of almost any kind is better than no exercise at all. However, there is one threshold and target zone for gaining the health benefits of exercise and another one for improving cardiovascular fitness. The target zone that provides protection against heart disease does not necessarily result in improvements in cardiovascular fitness as reflected by improvements in maximal oxygen uptake. Exercise that follows the FIT formula for improving cardiovascular fitness will contribute to a reduction in the risk of heart disease as well as improved cardiovascular fitness. (more…)
