Heart rate seems WAY too high!

[AlysiaBrooks]

Hi guys,

I am a 27 year old female, 192 lbs (I've lost 80 lbs so far) and I've started a couch to 5k program.  I was good through week 3, but now I am stuck.  I cannot jog for more than 3 minutes, and when I do my heart rate gets up to 190 and I feel light headed!  Does anyone have any advice?  I do not have ANY medical problems (other than being overweight, of course).  I want so badly to be a "runner", but I'm getting discouraged.

Any advice is going to be very helpful!

[Odyssey13]

You have done well getting into better shape. Congrats!

This link is to the American Heart Association and there is a chart for heart rates.

You should ask your doctor, or insurance company's nurse, to get some insight into this. Your being lightheaded means something is going on and you do need to take care of yourself.

You may not think there is a medical problem, but it's always best to check before running.

[AlysiaBrooks]

I have an annual physical where my blood work, blood pressure, everything is normal---I went to my Dr. recently and she was so happy that I was doing the couch to 5k program, so I think she's convinced that I'm okay?  The maximum on the American Heart Association website says 200 BMP is the max and the target for me is a high of 170.  I haven't ever been a "runner"---maybe I'm hoping there are other FitBitters out there that had this issue and overcame it when they kept at it and kept losing weight?  

[Odyssey13]

Let's hope a few more chime in here for you.

You have done a great job. Looking at that photo of the before and after, you've worked hard. May you have continued and happy success!

[whome]

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@AlysiaBrooks wrote:

  I haven't ever been a "runner"--  

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I think your answer is right there - you might want to start by running two minutes - walking two minutes  - running two - walking two - and work your way up slowly - very slowly - remember, the tortoise won the race, not the hare.

keep at it, good luck

Craig

[Colinm39]

@AlysiaBrooksIf it is the "jogger" on your profile you are concerned about becoming a "runner", that changes with more active participation in the forums. I have become a sprinter, not because of my walking but because my participation in the forums. Read about it here

But keep doing what you are doing because you have done amazing things in a short time. Isn't it a wonderful feeling going down those clothes sizes. I have never worn jeans in my life and my wife suggested I go from my baggy 42" slacks, and that became a 32" straight leg jeans....

You photo will be an inspiration to many that by applying yourself, it will happen....

[Dominique]

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@AlysiaBrooks wrote:

I have an annual physical where my blood work, blood pressure, everything is normal 

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I would consult with a cardiologist. You may have a heart condition that wouldn't show during your annual checkup. You would need an echocardiography and an effort test for that.

[AlysiaBrooks]

I've had my heart checked as a teenager because my brother has Marfan's syndrome and they wanted to check the whole family.  I guess I'm just going to go with "slow and steady wins the race" and not push it too much.

[Odyssey13]

You've proven you have the will-power and determination to make a difference in your life. Winning the ultimate race is what it's all about and you can do it!

[Colinm39]

@AlysiaBrooksI have just read up on your brothers condition and it must be worrying for the family and yourself. We can't be the medical profession here but can pass on our own experiences and helpful tips.

A few years ago I had an electrocardiogram stress test which included the Vo2 test and that picked up what I call the "missing heart beat", technically a 1st degree heart blocker. No other worries, and it is of no concern for me, because it can occur in highly trained athletes. It is a timing difference and at 74 I'm not highly trained.  My doctors are never concerned because I have no family history of heart and my annual tests are all clear, including blood tests.

I have a fairly low resting heart rate, 58 while I'm typing this, 53 during the day, and it gets down to 42 when I'm asleep. Because of this, part of my routine is to occassionally measure my "recovery heart rate" (RHR) which is a good indicator of any issue,s and here is the link to that  Recovery Heart Rate

I have been taking my RHR for years and as I have got older the graph gradient is fairly consistent

[slysam]

I agree with the suggestions to have it looked at by a professional. I don't think it reaching 190 is necessarily a big problem--it s more how you feel. It sounds like you should ease off a bit on the intensity--assuming nothing is wrong. Does c25k even start you out jogging 3 minutes? I thought the early jogging intervals were a bit shorter?

[AlysiaBrooks]

I'm on week 4 of c25k...so it's jog 3 min, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 min walk 2.5 min...then you repeat.  I can do the 3 minutes, but I can't get through the 5 without the sick, light headed feeling.  I did week 3 with ease!

[Dominique]

If you were running at full speed, 190 after a couple of minutes wouldn't be abnormally high for your age, but if you are only jogging at a moderate pace, your pulse shouldn't go that high. It's better to listen to your body rather than to follow some generic plan to the letter.

You said your heart was checked as a teenager. You also lost 80 lbs down to your current weight of 192 lbs, which means you were considerably overweight. If you were at that weight for a number of years in your adult life, this could have put a lot of stress on your cardio-vascular system, which is why a new check wouldn't be a bad idea.

[LadyMousie]

Alysia, why don't you try jogging a bit slower until your fitness levels increase more and then your heart rate will drop. I don't think you should be too concerned with such a high heart rate, but if you are feeling dizzy as well - take it a bit slower. There is no speed on couch to 5K, so purposely slow it down a bit

[gerrymcd]

Hi,

You've done really well sticking with a program for a healthier you! 

As for your heart rate.  Your maximum should be approximately 226 minus your age.  So 190 is ok.  But, hitting your maximum while jogging suggests you need to ease back to jogging for a minute - recover - jog AND go arrange for a treadmill stress test.  The latter only takes a couple of minutes. You get hooked up to an ECG and walk/run until you reach your maximum heart rate (or reach an unsafe blood pressure).  

[slysam]

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@AlysiaBrooks wrote:

I'm on week 4 of c25k...so it's jog 3 min, walk 90 seconds, jog 5 min walk 2.5 min...then you repeat.  I can do the 3 minutes, but I can't get through the 5 without the sick, light headed feeling.  I did week 3 with ease!

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My main concern is that you feel sick, light headed etc in combination with the heart rate. It may be worth discussing with a doctor. Though it may actually just be that you are fighting off a cold or illness or dehydrated, etc. Be sure you drink plenty of fluids because dehydration can sometimes cause you to feel lightheaded during exercise (as can illness it is usually one of the first signs I notice of a cold). Another option could simply be that the jump in intensity between week 3 and week 4 was too high for you. In that case if I spent this week doing something a little more intense than week 3 but less intense than week 4 that may help. If that feels fine, try week four next week or the week after. Also, just checking, you don't happen to hold your breath a lot when you run, do you? I can't imagine that is likely, but sometimes people do during exertion--usually weight lifting and that can cause issues like described too.

[Mary]

Alysia- I have a naturally high HR that is of no concern to doctors, it runs in my family.  I got my HR to 200 at age 44 in a cardio stress test, at healthy weight and of good cardio health.  Still, no concern.  

I also tried to do C25k at that time and quit near the end because I detested it because my HR runs uncomfortably high at even slow jogging.  I don't have that problem with any other cardio, and I've done all kinds.  I haven't met many people like myself, except a sister, but I've concluded I'm just not built to run and I'm ok with it.  There are so many other cardio options, and most of them aren't as tough on your joints anyway.  But I totally understand your frustration.  Whenever I post this story people insist that ANYONE can be a runner.  

Good luck!

[captzoom]

Alysia-

190 bpm on your active heart rate would be too high to enjoy running on a consistent basis. As a HS Track/Cross Country coach, I know that if any of my new runners, who haven't run at all, were running at 190 bpm, they wouldn't last very long before quitting.

Congrats on everything you have done to get to this point. You obviously have a strong work ethic and an abundance of enthusiasm. I would suggest trying to keep your active HR in 140-160 bpm range and trying to exercise for a longer period of time (eventually). Remember that sustained fitness over time is what you are looking for.

You won't enjoy running much if it's too exhausting every day and you end up with an assortment of lower leg, back, and/or joint pains. So remind yourself that learning to become a successful runner is all about progression and maintaining a continuity of training (meaning you do things to aviod getting hurt or sick and thus missing workout days).

As someone who has ran a lot, one of my favorite workouts now that I'm old, is to just run/jog down to the end of the street and walk back. It takes maybe 19-20 sec of running and 45-65 sec of walking. It's easy and something that I will usually do between 60-90 min (again it is something that I have progressed to, so don't start there). I'm sure my neighbors think that I'm crazy but that totally works for me. The best part - the running raises my heart rate into the 140-160 aerobic threshold range (for my age) while the walking allows my HR to drop before running again. Based on the distance that I cover running/walking, the whole thing is 100% very active minutes (and something that I could very easily do even on my bad days when I am sore or lack motivation).

Anyway, great luck w/ your training. You are off to a great start. Feel free to message me or add me as a friend. I love reading stories like yours. You inspire me to quite whining about life and to just get busy living it. Thank you for that. TC of yourself and, of course, happy training 🙂 HAGD

[KathyTau]

Alysia,

I am 43 and just started running again. My heart rate gets high as well, 175ish. I went to a cardiologist and got the whole work up just like most have suggested on this post. He said as long as I don't feel light headed or weak I am ok. So I suggest if it continues to get a second option. Take it slow for 2 weeks and see if that helps. My husband was in perfect health and had to have a triple bypass at 40, he had no symptoms at all. It can happen to anyone. Take it slow and don't worry if it takes you longer to get to the 5k point. I did a half marathon by walk/run every other minute!

Congratulations! Keep up the good work,

Kathy

[pidgeon92]

I wish the OP would come back up update us on her progress. This thread is almost a year old.