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Measuring
Your Max Heart Rate
You won't reach your Max HR with these tests,
but they give you a range within which your Max HR probably lies.
Rate your fitness level as follows:
• Poor shape. You have not exercised
regularly during the last two months.
•
Fair shape. You walk a mile or more or
pursue any aerobic activity for twenty minutes at least three times per
week.
• Good shape. You exercise regularly more
than an hour a week or walk or run at least five miles a week.
The second step is take either or both of these
tests.
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TEST ONE.
One Mile
Walk Test
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Find a track, perhaps at a
local school, and walk four continuous, evenly paced laps as
fast as you can in your current condition. The first three
laps put you on a heart-rate plateau where you hold steady for
the fourth lap.
Determine your average heart rate for
this final lap. Then to predict your Max HR, add 40 bpm if you
are in poor shape; for fair shape, add 50; and for good shape,
add 60.
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TEST TWO:
The Step Test
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Use an eight-inch step. Warm up
appropriately. Then, use this four count step sequence: right
foot up, left up, right down, left down. Counting "up,
up, down, down" as one set and keep a steady pace of 20
sets per minute.
Measure your average heart rate
during the third minute, then predict your Max HR by adding 55
bpm if you are in poor shape, 65 for fair shape and 75 for
good shape. That number is your predicted maximum heart rate.
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SIDEBAR: BEFORE YOU
START
If you have not been training
regularly, answer these questions first:
• Are
you a man over 40 or a woman over 50?
• Have
you ever been told you have heart problems, high blood pressure, or a
bone or joint problem, such as arthritis, that has been or could be
aggravated by certain types of exercise?
• Do you
frequently suffer from chest pains, feel faint or have dizzy spells?
• Are
you taking prescription medication, such as those for high blood
pressure?
• Is
there another medical reason why you think perhaps you should not
exercise?
If you answered "yes" to any
of these questions, consult your healthcare provider before you being
training.
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