…more thoughts on Resting Heart Rate & Heart Rate Zone training

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You don’t need to own a heart rate monitor to exercise effectively. That is a myth. With that said, I do think monitoring heart rate has value. Just know that you can absolutely gauge most any exercise of any type by the way you feel while doing it. This is often referred as the Talk Test. If you can easily talk, the exercise is considered lower-intensity. If you can’t, it’s more intense. Obviously, there is plenty of room in between. Don’t make the mistake of thinking all exercise need be intense to be effective. It’s not just about burning as many calories in one session as possible, it’s also about sustainability. In other words, can you repeat this for a long time to come without quitting? The average person quits exercise within the first six months. I would argue that the average American needs more lower-intensity exercise… done more often. I’m talking about something like dedicated Walking most days of the week. It’s great if someone does some form of really intense exercise once or twice a week (if they are healthy enough to to so) but not if the other 5 days are all rest days. Move more often, even if it’s low-intensity. Adequate DAILY movement is always the correct choice. Our bodies were made to move. Walking is the best choice, that is why we have legs. Aim for a goal of lowering your resting heart rate by the end of the year. (For healthy heart rate zones, Google: “karvonen formula calculator”). If you really want to do higher-intensity (HIIT) exercise, try getting your resting heart rate UNDER 60 before doing so if possible. Consult with a medical professional if you have any specific concerns or conditions. #bssbbooks #restingheartrate #walkingasexercise #austinpersonaltrainer #austinpersonaltraining #blueskystrongbox

A post shared by Blue Sky Strongbox (@blue_sky_strongbox) on Aug 8, 2019 at 7:34am PDT