Is my heart rate too high to run?

Question

I recently joined a gym, with the sole purpose of getting fit. In my induction I had a checkup and had a resting heart-rate of 99. After a few months I'm down to 64, which is far more normal of course. However, when I'm exercising it shoots up incredibly high.

While cycling or on the cross trainer I can work pretty hard with it remaining about 150-160, which is probably still a bit high, but considering I was told around 140 as an ideal rate, I'm hoping as my fitness improves I can remedy that. But I started doing a couch to 5k program, and that's where the bigger figures came from.

So far I am only in to week two, currently running (it's not flat out, 9kph on the treadmill), where I have to run for 90 seconds then rest for 120. After the run, my heart rate is way up above 180, once almost 190. After resting for the two minutes it's usually back down to the mid 160s. I told this to my advisor and he said that's too much, especially considering my family actually has a history of heart problems (my dad had a heart attack in his 30s, angina, etc).

I am 28, 6'2" and 250lbs, so obviously I need to lose around 50lbs, but while running I don't feel I can't manage it. Yes it's quite hard work, but I can do it. But obviously I don't want to wreck my heart! I read this: Is this heart rate too high for a beginner runner? and read about how in some schools of thought it should be between 60% and 90%, so I'm wondering if it's still possible to run, as the couch to 5k program only last about 20 minutes per session?

My question is this: I trust my advisor, and I will probably take him up on the offer of some personal training for some more in-depth advice on how to best push myself without hurting my heart, but has anyone else been in, and overcome, a similar situation before? Is it a case of dieting and doing exercises that don't max my heart out for a while until I'm fitter so that I have less weight and can run without it peaking so much?

The main thing I think that's confusing me is that when I stick to the heart-rates suggested to me, I just don't feel like I'm working hard at all. I don't want to be a body-builder, I just want to lose weight and improve my fitness, with a long-term goal of being able to run 10k in one go. Any advice or links to reading so I can further expand my (admittedly minimal) knowledge before I fork out for PT would be most gratefully accepted.

Answer 1

It's not clear what training your advisor has, but it would be a great idea to consult with your physician, especially if there is a family history of heart problems. If you physician has concerns, she might order an exercise stress test to look for possible cardiac issues.

As for your question, if you are just starting an exercise program, it's a good idea not to work out too hard when you start out. If your heart is healthy, you aren't in danger of hurting your heart, but you can easily overuse the rest of your body. I'd also be careful about run hard / walk intervals when you are just starting out.

However, you have said that when you are exercising at the suggested heart rate, you don't feel like you are working hard. That suggests to me that your maximum heart rate may be higher than average. A lot of exercise programs are based on a perceived exertion scale instead of heart rate to avoid this problem.

I agree with the others on the values of typical equations for heart rate training. The best way to set heart rate ranges is through an actual field test (something like a 20-minute all-out effort), but that's overkill for what you are doing.

My advice is just to see your doctor, and then stop overthinking about your heart rate and go based on how you feel. People did that for a long time with good results.

Answer 2

I think you may be overdoing the run, even considering your weight and training history. When they say run in the typical couch to 5k (c25k) program, they merely mean a jogging pace. If you ARE doing nothing more than a jogging pace and still hitting heart rates that are that high, I would go for an actual clinical stress test. (That's probably not a bad idea anyway, with the family history).

On a personal note, I am not a fan of training by heart rate. I don't believe that people should base training on a metric that can change dramatically by what you ate or drank the day before. If your heart rate is elevated 10 beats because of stress and dehydration, you aren't working as hard as you think you are. I much prefer perceived exertion, i.e. how hard you feel like you are working.

As far as your advisor, I would be interested in his clinical background, to where he can confidently assert that he can train you without hurting your heart. If you haven't already, I would highly encourage you to get a physical and talk over your concerns and family history with a medical doctor. That way you KNOW you have a clean bill of health to be working out.