Exercise Program

[DPM111]

I'm 17 weeks into an exercise program to recover from being pretty deconditioned.  Starting out with 10 minute walks, and now I walk 30 minutes or go 20 minutes on my elliptical trainer every day.  My resting heart rate has dropped from mid 80s to low 70s, and anxiety or mild exertion doesn't send my heart rate above 100 like it used to.

But the last couple weeks, I've noticed that my heart rate has been going up more rapidly on the elliptical trainer.  I do a steady 40 rpm, so that has not changed.  A few weeks ago, it took me 7-9 minutes before my HR would hit 130.  Now that happens in about 4 minutes, and I have to take short rests to keep my HR below 140.  I'm 54, and I am trying to keep my heart rate in the 130s during exercise.

I exercise in the morning.  If I get on the elliptical in the afternoon, my heart rate hits 130 in a couple minutes.  I don't feel exhausted or especially out of breath, but I feel like my cardio conditioning is still not what it should be and I'm starting to do worse instead of better.

One question is if blood pressure could be why my heart rate is lower when I exercise in the morning?

[Lee Kirksey, MD]

There are a number of different reasons your bp and heart rate might be high in the morning. Perhaps you drink a caffeine load in the morning. Conversely, if one was dehydrated, your blood pressue might be low and your heart rate high. It would be difficult to determine the mechanism without performing batteries of tests.

Perhaps you should consider interval training to improve vagal nerve tone.

Good luck

[DPM111]

Just an additional comment about blood pressure.  Mine is very stress related.  I measured 145/87 this morning, but then meditated for a few minutes and it dropped to 123/85.  That's why I was wondering if higher blood pressure might cause my heart rate to go up faster when I'm exercising.