One of the greatest barometers of your fitness status—that is, your ability to expend energy—is your resting pulse rate. The lower your pulse rate (also referred to as your heart rate), the less energy you expend doing menial tasks and the more energy you keep stored for other activities. Ironically, the best way to lower you resting heart rate is to exercise or engage in physical activity. As I like to say: “move those bones!”
But before you move it, grade it. That’s right, grade your fitness level. No, I’m not talking about a written test or how fast you can run a mile or how many push-ups you can perform. We’re not in gym class anymore. I want to know your resting heart rate.
How many times does your heart beat in one minute while you’re at rest? If you don’t know, then measure it. Like your body weight, your pulse rate is a great objective barometer of your fitness level. As you get in better shape, your heart will automatically pump more blood with each beat; and therefore, the rate of contractions (that’s the number of times it beats) will be less when doing the same amount of work. Less heart stress results in more energy saved.
On average, the American Heart beats about 70 to 80 times a minute. The active or athletic heart beats around 60 bpm. And the highly trained athletic heart beats in the range of 40 to 50 bpm. For example, it has been reported that Tiger Woods has a resting pulse rate in the low 50’s and my friend Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong – who wrote the Forward for my book 110% - was monitored in the low 40’s. I’m proud to say that my resting pulse rate is in the high 40’s.
Again, I ask what is your resting pulse rate? Record it in your fitness journal. And in eight weeks check it again. I like to measure my resting pulse rate approximately every two months – just before I get out of bed in the morning. It only takes a minute literally. -- PC |
