Heart rate?

[Scullywoo]

What is a healthy heart rate when relaxing and then when you're exercising? My heart rate goes up to 170 when I'm on the cross trainer and it makes me nervous. Should I be worried? I am slightly asthmatic and I do smoke occassionally. Thanks.

[Loosehead]

Your thooretical maximum heart rate is 220-age. for fat burning you need to get to 60% of max and for any cardiovascular improvement you must raise your heart rate to 80% of max for at least 12 minutes.

so 170 is the max you should be able to reach if you are 50. But don't take it literally it's only a general guide. So the short answer is it depend on how old you are, if you are 20 the 170 is nothing to write home about but 40 you are pushing it.

I do the cross trainer a lot and I have to really knock myself out to get to 168. It does you good to push it a bit but by definition you can't do it for long.

Relaxing heart rate should be no more than 70. the fitter the lower.

[Scullywoo]

Thanks Loosehead.  I'm 25 years of age and when I was going at it hammer and tong on the x-trainer a week or so back and hit 180!! I just hope my heart can take it.  That was doing it for 12 minutes only!