44
Mid-40s man. Is heart rate hitting low 180s during cardio safe, or should this be concerning? (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/fitness@lemmy.world
45 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I'm in my mid-40s and I do cardio 3x weekly, and during my sessions, it's basically HIIT training. I try to keep my HR above 150 during my sessions, but it peaks in the low 180s intermittently.

Is this okay? My doctor noted potential concerns with getting my HR up that high, but it could be fine, she wasn't sure. I don't get any dizziness or anything (generally that happens if I sustain a heart rate above 185 for a bit). I'm not staying at 180 bpm, that's just the peak, I'm targeting an average HR of around 150-155 for my workouts.

In a 60 minute workout, I'll probably spend 10-15 minutes with my HR between 166 and 182 range.

Not sure if I should scale it down a bit or take it easier, or if this is fine.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [S] 4 points 2 months ago* (2 children)

As always, talk to a doctor about this. They will be able to give you a definitive answer.

Hah, asking here because I talked to my doc about it at an appointment today and they couldn't give me an answer. Guess I'm gonna need to find a specialist.

It's been fine and my energy levels are good, and I enjoy the workouts. Just wasn't sure if it was potentially problematic because as you noted, it's a high heart rate for my age. My max HR seems to be around 188-190.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    Honestly I’m pretty much in the same boat as you. My heart rate easily gets up to 180+ when I’m doing anything perceivably intense. It freaks me out too, so I simply back off until it comes back down.

    It’s possible I’m a little too cautious. So there’s that. 😊

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] [S] 3 points 2 months ago

    Yeah, same. That's why I posted. If my HR gets too high I back off, but when I'm doing intense cardio, it just happens. Takes a bit for my heart rate to ramp up initially, but with my workouts it's pretty much a steady climb unless I back off intermittently.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent