What is a safe maximum heart rate for a 52 year old?

I am a 52 year old novice swimmer, other than swimming my only exercise is walking (I use a cane because of back problems)

From time to time I suffer from PAC's The last time I saw a cardiologist was prior to an operation, and there were no problems then.

My resting pulse has always been high (I have a lot of anxiety) around 80 BPM and sometimes more.

Walking will raise my heart to around 130 to 140 BPM depending on terrain, and climbing the three flights of stairs to my flat will raise it to about the same, but I cannot even swim half a length without having to stop in the middle and by the time I get to the end my heart rate is something like 160 or above (measured by pulse and wristwatch)




Is a sustained160 likely to be hazardous for me?

I suspect as I learn to swim more efficiently it will take less effort.

[Michael J. McWilliams, M.D.]

Swimming is hard work.  During my athletic days, I found swimming much more intense than running.  For someone your age, your max predicted heart rate should be 220-age == roughly 170.  160 is pretty close to your maximum predicted rate.  It probably won't hurt you but I doubt you can max it very long at an effort like that.  If you really want a sustained work out, I would consider slowing down a bit and shooting for 60-70% of your max predicted rate.

Before you start any strenuous exercise, you should talk to your doctor and make sure that you are ready for a work out like that.

I hope this helps and good luck.