WARNING: The following post asks you to perform arithmetic.  Do not worry there’s no exam and none this will count toward your final mark.  

I have a history of starting fitness plans with, let’s say, an abundance of exuberance only to be stopped dead in my tracks.  You see that rush of enthusiasm almost always leads to trouble – I go out too hard (stupidly hard) and then end up in agony with an injury or total body soreness.   I’ve learned the hard way that strenuous training can only be done in short, regulated spurts once you’re in decent shape.  In fact, even when you’re in good shape, training all out should be used sparingly.   Take it from me working out hard isn’t the way to physical fitness but the way to (insert correct answer: pain, injury, physical therapy, psychological therapy, traction, all of the above, something worse.)  Going slow and steady is where it’s at and I’ll explain why.  

Let me begin by saying that I’m primarily talking about aerobic fitness although I have debilitated myself with strength training as well. I’m not a one sport non-athlete, I can be dumb in multiple sports!   So how do you judge what’s too hard, after all, the level of effort you expend is subjective.  What seems tortuously hard to one person is a walk in the park for another.  To make matters worse, our perception of how hard we’re working is unreliable as we often work our bodies harder than we think.   The simplest and most effective way to judge our effort is through our heart rate – the faster our heart beats the harder we’re working.   

There are a number of ways to measure our heart rates but the first and the best is through the use of a heart rate monitor.   This is a tool that I cannot recommend highly enough, and I think it should be standard issue for anyone wanting to improve their fitness. These devices range in price from about a hundred to well over a thousand dollars. There are two basic types – both use a watch device for the read out, but one monitors your heart through a strap you wear around your chest while the other reads the pulse in your wrist. 

I’ve used a heart rate monitor for years.  In fact, I’ve probably owned more heart rate monitors than anyone alive.  You see I’d get a new monitor only to discover shortly afterwards that it wasn’t working properly.  I’d be running along and everything would be okay.  At some point I’d check my heart rate only to find it at 24 beats per minute then the next second it would jump to 267 BPM!  You’d have to have a heart the size of an elephants to get a rate of 24 BPM or a hummingbird’s to hit 267.  I figured the monitor was faulty, so I’d throw it in a drawer, and I’d go buy another.   It wasn’t until I scared the daylights out of a nurse during a routine stress test (my heart rate bottomed out to 28 bpm) that I realized it wasn’t the technology, it was me.   I had heart surgery when I was a kid and the operation left me with some crossed wires.   The electrical impulses in my chest that the monitors pick up aren’t the same as a “normal” person’s, and that caused it to give false readings.   I kept thinking the monitors were faulty and all along it was me that was defective.   So, if you’re interested in buying a slightly used heart rate monitor, I can probably hook you up!  

Now, if you don’t want to spring for a heart rate monitor, you can always count your own pulse.  The best spot is using the carotid arteries (there are two of them) on either side of your neck.  If your neck is a clock and beneath your chin is 12 then you should be able to find the carotid arteries around 10 and 2 o’clock.  Once you find your pulse, simply count the number of beats in a minute.  If you’re in a hurry or moving, simply count the number of beats in 15 seconds and multiply by four. 

Another good rule of thumb is that you should be working hard enough so that you break a sweat but not so hard that you can’t carry on a conversation.  If you’re so out of breath you can’t talk, slow down, you’re working too hard.  

The goal is to work our heart and cardiovascular system to approximately 60 to 70 percent of our maximum heart rate.   How do you know your maximum heart rate?   There’s an easy way to calculate it:  Simply subtract your age from 220 and that is your max heart rate.   While this formula isn’t perfect it does give you a general idea of what to shoot toward.  To figure out your target zone multiply your max heart rate by .60 for the low end and .70 for the upper range.  For instance, I’m 59 so my max heart rate is 161 BPM (220-59 = 161).  My lower range is 97 and the upper range is 113 (161x.60 = 96.60, 161 x.70 = 112.70).  When I run, I try to keep my heart rate in that range.  Let me tell you I am not moving very fast.  In fact, some days it seems like I’m moving backwards but trust me I’m moving forward.   

I know what you’re thinking – “Dave, I’m not an athlete what do I care about this heart rate stuff?  And why the hell are you making me do math?”  Unlike grade 12 trigonometry this stuff actually has a practical purpose.  You see, working your heart in this range is kind a of a sweet spot whereby you get the most benefit from a cardiovascular perspective and it activates all sorts of good chemicals that trigger your body and brain to grow.  As a bonus it’s also a prime fat burning zone and you’re not knocking yourself out doing it.   What’s not to love about this?  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      We all need to keep our heart and cardiovascular system in good form.   It is literally our life blood.  Keeping these systems well-tuned helps prevent any number of diseases including heart disease, hypertension, cancer and various brain diseases.   The key is to go long and slow while being consistent about it.  I work out long and slow 4 times a week for 30 to 60 minutes and it keeps my weight in check and feeling great.   

I’ve really just skimmed the surface of this subject.  There are extensive studies and schools of thought when it comes to fitness.  You can really get into the weeds on anerobic vs. aerobic work outs or VO2 max vs. aerobic threshold measurements.   Listen, I like fitness, but I glaze over when people get too deep into this stuff.   Start with the basics and keep it simple.   But before you begin any fitness program it is best to consult with your doctor to be certain you are able to manage it.  From there take it slow and just keep on going.  Consistently working out long and slow really adds up to positive results and, no, that’s not another math question.     Long and slow is the way to go!