Fitness Articles

Heart to Heart

Q. I've been using a heart-rate monitor to exercise at 60% of my maximum heart rate (MHR). What

Would happen if I really went for it and hit 110%.

A. You can't. “MHR is an absolute limit. You might not think so, though, because the heart rate formula-

220 beats per minute, minus your age – has a 10% margin of error. The only sure way to pin down the

number is to have your doctor administer a treadmill test to exhaustion. Once you know your max, you should train at 60-75 of it. You'll see a modest effect on your fitness level at 60% and a good effect at 75%

but beyond that you're wasting effort.

EASE THE PRESSURE

High blood pressure kills 60,000 people every year. So I've listed a few fact so to help avoid becoming one of them.

•  Swallow a glass of tomato juice, or better still 2. This contains lycopene and lutein, two phytochemicals with blood lowing properties.

•  Work stress isn't all in your head – it's in your circulatory system too. “Longterm stressful situations readjust the blood pressure upwards”.

•  Recent research has confirmed what has long been suspected-there is a strong link between salt intake and high blood pressure. No more than 3g aday is recommended. Check sodium levels in tin foods, packets of crisps and cold meats.

•  Regular, moderate exercise has been proved to reduce blood pressure by an average of 3.8 points systolic and 2.6 diastolic. Working at 70-80% of maximum heart rate for best effects.

•  Polyunsaturated fatty acids. Use sesame seed oil. Indian researchers have found that patients with blood pressure avr 166/101 have reduced to avr 134/85 in just 2 months.