Areeba loves exercising regularly. She has only recently picked up this habit and is loving her progress. However, she has never really paid a lot of attention to how exercising has an effect on her heart rate. She only heard about this in passing and wants to learn more. And since you are here, then we are guessing that you want to learn more about how to increase heart rate too. So, let’s jump into the topic without keeping you and Areeba waiting.
How to Increase Heart Rate?
It is essential for an individual to participate in exercises that help make the heartbeat faster. This heartbeat rate should be higher than your heartbeat rate when you are resting. An increased heartbeat rate is also important for the prevention of diseases.
There have been several studies that show that an increased heart rate helps in the prevention of cancer. However, you should also remember that not every exercise is the same. This is why if you want to learn the answer to the question of ‘how to increase heart rate,’ then you should start by looking at the exercises that can make your heartbeat a little faster.
A faster heart rate will also train your body to move more oxygen and blood to the muscles. This will help you burn more calories and lower your cholesterol. This, in turn, keeps you healthy.
According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity can help increase your heart rate. It will also lower the risk of cancer. So, when it comes to learning how to increase heart rate, then the answer to the question lies in engaging in vigorous physical exercise.
Learning to Measure Your Heart Rate
We have mentioned how to increase heart rate in the section mentioned above. But we haven’t talked about how you can measure your own heart rate. Areeba is very interested in learning about this.
According to experts, the easiest way to measure your heart rate is with a monitor. This is typically a watch or a strap that goes around the arm or chest of the individual. This is also synced with a watch or some other device.
Many wearable fitness trackers also include heart rate monitors these days. So, if you have one of those fitness trackers, then you can use that. However, if you don’t have access to those trackers, then you can use your two fingers to find your pulse.
Once you have found your pulse, then all you need to do is count the beats that you are feeling for 10 seconds. Multiply the number you get by six. This is roughly the number of heartbeats that you will get in a minute.
Ways to Get Your Heart Rate Up
Areeba and you know how to increase your heart rate. We have already covered this in the section that was titled ‘how to increase heart rate.’ However, what we haven’t looked over is exactly what these exercises are that can boost your heart rate. So, to fully answer the question of ‘how to increase heart rate’ let’s look at some exercises.
Some ways to get your heart rate up are:
- Run-on and Incline: Whether you are running on a treadmill or if you have access to an inclined road, you should run on an inclined surface to increase your heart rate. This will help challenge your muscles at the same time
- Take the Stairs: Instead of using the elevator, take the stairs every chance that you get. This can add a new challenge to your regular workout
- Alter the Pace: Whether you are walking, riding a bike, practicing yoga, or swimming, you can alter the pace of your entire workout. For starters, you can add in short bursts of increased effort at a faster pace. With time, you can increase the duration of these bursts
- Take Shorter Breaks: Taking shorter breaks in between different exercises can be very beneficial for you. This is applicable whether you are doing an interval workout or lifting weights
- Aerobic Exercises: Engaging in aerobic exercises helps in improving circulation which further results in lowering the blood pressure and heart rate of an individual. It also improves the aerobic fitness and overall cardiac output of the individual. Some good aerobic exercises that you can engage in are running, swimming, brisk walking, and cycling
- Resistance Training: Resistance training has a very specific effect on body composition. Individuals who are carrying a lot of body fat can reduce their fat and create leaner muscle mass through resistance training. Studies have also shown that a combination of aerobic exercise and resistance training can help in increasing good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol. Some exercises that can be included in resistance training are working out with free weights, working on weight machines, and using resistance bands
- Stretching, Flexibility, and Balance: Including flexibility, balance, and stretching workouts doesn’t directly contribute to your heart health. However, it does have a lot of positive effects on musculoskeletal health and can help an individual stay free from joint pain, cramping, and other muscular issues. Flexibility is also a critical part of being able to maintain aerobic exercise and resistance training. Some exercises that can be included in this domain are yoga and tai chi. You can also follow some basic stretching routines by watching some exercise DVDs or YouTube videos
Areeba really liked all of these exercise ideas. She cannot wait to include flexibility and resistance training in her daily exercise regime. Are you as excited to have a holistic exercising regime that would boost up your heart rate? Did you get a satisfactory answer to the question of ‘how to increase heart rate?’
