On the Maximum Heart Rate

Borrowed a heart monitor device the other day, just for fun. The common formula has it that, the maximum heart rate of a person decreases by age. 220-age. And that makes my maximum heart rate at 196 beats per minute. Fine, I thought.

And so, exercise I went. First 10 minutes was sort of warming up, my heart rate was resting still at 40% to 50% tops from the maximum heart rate. But I was already feeling the heart beating on my chest. Since it was only 50%, I figured I could push myself further, and so I did.

After 1 hour of physical activities, guess what did I get?

10 minutes of the heart rate reaching 80%, i.e. 160+ per minute. At that a rate, I was almost passing out already. Every breath brings a fullness on the chest. I don't even think I could go up to 90% even.

At 160 beats per minute, I was already panting and breathing as deep as hard as I could to keep the body well oxygenized. But to reach 190 beats per minute? I think I would probably die of sudden heart attack.

Bam! Drop dead.