Heart rate

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Sergio

New Member
Having had a small heart procedure done last year and only being in my mid 40's i need to get fitter and remember enjoying bike riding from younger days so am on the verge of buying a bike.My question is does bike riding really help with cardio fitness as i only ever really remember my legs acheing riding a bike rather than actually getting out of breath.Im not sure my back and joints are up to pounding the streets running so a bike is what I fancy but does it really get the heart pumping so to speak ?
 

Drago

Legendary Member
It can do, yes
 

Beeny

Active Member
Heart rate readings from yesterday's pootle. Minimum 99. Maximum 173. Average 136. 2 hour ride.
Resting average rate 52

Yeah, it can get the heart pumping a bit if you want.
 

Beeny

Active Member
Having had a stroke myself, and with your medical history, it would probably be a good idea to consult the doctor about what level of exercise it's safe to do. TMHNET has a point about ignoring others numbers data, which I only put in to illustrate that you can push it up IF you want. You can equally pootle around at a relatively low stress levels for half an hour and still be doing better work for your heart than sitting watching telly.
 

DanZac

Senior Member
Location
Basingstoke
@Tin Pot got it spot on above. But to me the joy of cycling is you can get whatever benifit you want from it. You can go out and spend all day pootling round the countryside, never getting out of breath but exercising steadily and burning off the pounds out in the fresh air.
Or you can get out for an hour find the biggest hill you can and repeatedly throw yourself up it untill you cant breath, stand up and your sick.
Its all doing you good, and whatever your doing you'll be fitter and feel better than if you spend your day sat in front of the tv.
Just make sure you get the advice of your doctor before you start, and I would'nt recommend the hills option unless you really enjoy suffering.
 

S-Express

Guest
Getting out of breath is a sign that you are training badly.

People think you have to exercise really hard for a session to be beneficial.

People are wrong.
That would depend on your training objectives. It's very difficult to ride a high intensity session without getting 'out of breath'
 

Yorksman

Senior Member
It all depends on what sort of heart problem you had in the first place. Exercises to 'strengthen' the heart muscle by working it can be fatal for some conditions so, take advice. Most conditions are improved by exercising the heart to the point where you are slightly out of breath, but can still chat. You don't want to take it to the point of gasping from breath and then pushing it. It's not just your heart you are exercising, it is your entire cardio vascular system, which transports oxygen, nutrients, hormones and takes away the carbon dioxide and so on. The heart is just the pump. The fact that you keep your body moving improves this circulation. You don't have to have a thumping heart.

To monitor your improvement, monitor your pulse and in particular, your recovery time where your heart rate drops back to normal. Don't take breathlessness as a sign that you are doing the right thing.
 
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