In a previous edition, a part of this discourse on the very good ability of Nigerians to adjust to adversity and other forms of bad situations was published. It was noted that the level of their resilience is enormous. Most Nigerians are simply stoic. That is why many people in the lower income group have taken to trekking long distances, either going to work, going home and for other engagements, to save money because of the prohibitive cost of transport fares. You need to stand at NNPC bus stop, close to the secretariat of Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, Lagos, either in the morning or evening and watch hundreds of young men trekking to Isolo, to take commuter buses to Mile 2, Apapa or other destinations. Again, stand at Ikeja Along, also in Lagos metropolis, you will hundreds of people trekking in either direction to different destinations. That is the sorry picture of the extent of hardship in the country. Below is the concluding part…
How much exercise does your heart need each week?
In one of its publications, the American Heart Association recommended that adults should get: 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity a week.
75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity a week, or a combination of both each week. This should be paired with moderate to high intensity muscle strengthening at least twice a week, with an overall goal of 300 total minutes of any physical activity weekly.
Regular movement throughout the day is best for children under five years, with kids between six and 17 years aiming for at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity activity daily.
Kids are also advised to incorporate three days of muscle and bone strengthening activities a week.
Your doctor will go over how these general guidelines apply to you. Your age, medical history, and heart health goals all matter.
If you’re recovering from a major cardiac event or procedure, for example, your exercise programme will look a lot different than that of someone primarily focused on heart disease prevention.
Target heart rate for exercising for a healthy heart
Most exercises accommodate a spectrum of effort and difficulty, which means one exercise, like swimming, can be moderate or vigorous intensity, depending on how you push yourself.
Calculating your target heart rate is one way to accurately track the intensity of your workouts. Not only can it help you make sure you’re meeting your exercise goals, it can let you know when to increase your difficulty or effort as your fitness level improves.
Target heart rate is a percentage of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. The number you get is your maximum beats per minute (bpm).
Moderate intensity exercise: Target heart rate is between 50 percent and 70 percent of your maximum heart rate.
Vigorous intensity exercise: Target heart rate is between 70 percent and 85 percent of your maximum heart rate.
To calculate these, take your estimated maximum heart rate and multiply it by the percentage converted to a decimal.
An example of the moderate intensity calculation for someone who is 40 years old would look like:
220 – 40 = 180 bpm (maximum heart rate)
50% of maximum heart rate is 180 x 0.50 = 90 bpm
70% of maximum heart rate is 180 x 0.70 = 126 bpm
This means, if you’re 40 years old, your target heart rate for moderate intensity exercise is between 90 and 126 bpm.
What happens if your heart rate is too high during exercise?
Your maximum heart rate indicates the boundary between beneficial stress on the heart and dangerous strain. If you go over your maximum heart rate, you can cause significant damage to your heart and blood vessels, and the chance of an adverse cardiac event increases.
Going over your target heart rate isn’t always as dangerous as exceeding your maximum heart rate, but it can still put undue strain on your heart, contributing to conditions like overtraining syndrome.
If you go over your target heart rate for moderate or vigorous intensity exercise, slow down or stop what you’re doing. Take time to cool down fully and rehydrate, continually monitoring your heart rate to ensure it’s returning to baseline.
Once you’re back to baseline, start your activity again and gradually increase your effort until you reach your target heart range.
If your heart rate remains elevated even after resting, or if you’re having chest pain, trouble breathing, or loss of consciousness, seek medical attention as soon as you can.
How often should you check your heart rate when exercising?
Your doctor can discuss how often to track your heart rate while exercising based on your health goals. For some people, every 5 to 10 minutes is enough, while other people may need to continuously monitor.
Ways to track your heart rate
You can track your heart rate manually using your fingers pressed at a pulse site on your body, like your neck or wrist. Starting at zero, count the beats you feel for 60 seconds, or count for 30 seconds and multiply by 2.
Since heart rate tracking is done frequently throughout a workout, stopping every 5 minutes to take a manual reading isn’t always practical. Thankfully, there are a variety of devices that can track your heart rate without interrupting your exercise flow.
These gadgets include: chest bands, wrist or arm wearables, smart rings, pulse oximeters (worn on the tip of your finger and connected to a portable device), smartphones and built-in equipment sensors on treadmills, stationary bikes, etc.
In general, chest bands are considered to be the most accurate heart rate readers available commercially. Their close proximity to the heart allows electrodes to continually detect electrical signals created when the heart contracts.
Compared with monitors worn on other parts of the body or carried, chest bands are less prone to signal disruptions caused by movement or a loss of contact with the skin.
Tips for making exercise part of your routine
Starting an exercise routine can feel daunting, especially if it’s never been a main focus in your life. To help exercise feel more like second nature and less like a chore, consider these tips:
Work with your doctor to set realistic goals that match your fitness level.
Focus on activities you enjoy, and find ways to vary their intensity as you progress.
Make everyday necessities opportunities for exercise, like parking farther away so you walk more.
Increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of workouts gradually.
Include exercise into your schedule so it’s planned and not done “when you have time.”
Find a workout friend to help you stay motivated and increase enjoyment.
Reward yourself for reaching exercise milestones (like running X number of miles for the first time).
Be flexible. A shorter exercise routine is better than none if your time is more constrained than usual.
Add variety to your routine with new exercises, fitness classes, or scenic locations.
And remember: Be kind to yourself. It’s OK to have days when exercise is the last thing you want to do or if you need an extra rest day. If you do miss a day, don’t let it slow you down. Get right back on schedule as soon as you can.
Bottom line
Moderate to vigorous intensity exercise is good for your heart. It can strengthen your heart muscle and improve a variety of functions that promote heart health.
While aerobic activity is specifically recommended for your heart health, strength training and flexibility work are also part of a complete fitness program.
With regular exercise, you can help prevent heart disease and improve health outcomes. Starting slowly with practical goals and focusing on activities you enjoy can help you ease into the routine of exercising regularly.
Adapted from healthline.com