How to take your resting HR in the morning
If you have a heart rate monitor, strap it on at night before you sleep. As soon as you wake up, lie down on your back - before tossing and turning or moving out of bed - press the start button on your watch. Record 1 min. Do this for 3 consecutive days and report.
If you do not have a HR monitor, you need a watch with seconds or a chronometer to measure your peripheral pulse. Your carotid artery, which, is very close to the surface is the most common and easiest palpable site. As soon as you wake up place your index and your long finger (not your thumb) on your neck under your mandible (lower right or left jaw) and press very gently (you don’t want to press hard, this could stop the blood flow and cause dizziness). When you feel a pulse, start counting your heart beats, ideally for 1 minute. If that’s too long for you, count for 15 sec and multiply by 4 or (for 30sec, multiply by 2).
The longer the seconds you count, the more precise is the heart rate estimate. Also, for more accuracy, if at the start there is no lag between the 1st “second” and the 1st beat, count the 1st beat as 0; if there is a lag count the 1st beat as 1.
How to find out your maximum Heart rate
There are many formulae to measure Max HR; most are inaccurate but two in my view are fairly close.
The two formulae
1. The Sally Edwards Best Fit Formula could be the best to use
Max HR = 210 - half your age – 5% of your weight in Lbs + 0 if you’re a female + 4 if you are a male.
2. The Cooper adaptation formula
205 – ½ your age ;
add 10 points to the results if you are an elite athlete.
Ideally a test at the doctor’s office is the best, but the risk involved does not justify the means. It is best to submit yourself to a sub maximal test by conducting a 1 mile vigorous walk test or a 5km run (all out - race) test. The highest reading is a close estimate of your maximum Heart rate. If you do not have a HR monitor, you need a watch with seconds or a chronometer to measure your peripheral pulse, as described above in the how to measure your heart rate.
The Walk Test: The walk test can be administered on a treadmill or outdoors on a measured 1mile distance. Warm up for 5 minutes, then walk vigorously at a fast pace close to the point where you are almost about to run, wear your heart rate monitor and record, taking a split at the last ¼ of the mile. The highest beats recorded in this last ¼ of a mile are a fairly good estimate of your Max HR
The Run Test: Run a 5km distance in a race or on a measured track. Run as fast as you possibly can making sure you finish covering the full distance. The highest beats recorded in the end is a fairly good estimate of your Max HR.
