Aa
Am I just of shape, or do I potentially have a heart problem?
I am concerned about my heart rate and it's behavior, and would like some opinions on whether or not I am simply severely out of shape, or if its behavior is possibly the result of a more serious problem.
Age: Around 30
Sex: Male
BMI: 28
Diabetes: None
Background: I am completely out of shape. I spend most of my day at a desk, doing no meaningful exercise of which to speak. During a recent doctor's visit, the nurse became concerned that my pulse was 130 while sitting down (I had been rushing to get there on time, and had just arrived). This led me to purchase a fitbit w/heart monitor to monitor my heart rate and make safe lifestyle changes. The results have been ambiguous but concerning to me:
My resting heart rate (while sleeping) seems all right, averaging about 73. Not good at all, but not indicative of heart disease.
On sitting up, my average heart rate shoots up to 80. I believe this is normal.
On standing, my hear rate jumps to around 95. This is... less normal. I understand this should, at worst, result in another 10bpm jump.
What has me very concerned is the effect of incredibly light activity on my heart rate. Getting my children cereal for breakfast pushes me up to 120. Taking out the trash (a two minute walk w/ 2 flights of stairs) pushes my heart rate up to almost 150. A two mile walk on lightly hilly terrain saw it reach 165 after a mile.
Fitbit thinks that I am doing "fat-zone" exercise 6 hours a day, due to my heart rate consistently being over 100bpm whenever I move around my apartment.
Does this sound like the heart of a very out-of-shape, completely sedentary, overweight 30 year old man, or is it so far from normal that it would be better explained by a heart condition? I am starting to try to lose weight and get exercise, but I don't want to drop dead because I started putting new stress on what could be a structural problem.
Age: Around 30
Sex: Male
BMI: 28
Diabetes: None
Background: I am completely out of shape. I spend most of my day at a desk, doing no meaningful exercise of which to speak. During a recent doctor's visit, the nurse became concerned that my pulse was 130 while sitting down (I had been rushing to get there on time, and had just arrived). This led me to purchase a fitbit w/heart monitor to monitor my heart rate and make safe lifestyle changes. The results have been ambiguous but concerning to me:
My resting heart rate (while sleeping) seems all right, averaging about 73. Not good at all, but not indicative of heart disease.
On sitting up, my average heart rate shoots up to 80. I believe this is normal.
On standing, my hear rate jumps to around 95. This is... less normal. I understand this should, at worst, result in another 10bpm jump.
What has me very concerned is the effect of incredibly light activity on my heart rate. Getting my children cereal for breakfast pushes me up to 120. Taking out the trash (a two minute walk w/ 2 flights of stairs) pushes my heart rate up to almost 150. A two mile walk on lightly hilly terrain saw it reach 165 after a mile.
Fitbit thinks that I am doing "fat-zone" exercise 6 hours a day, due to my heart rate consistently being over 100bpm whenever I move around my apartment.
Does this sound like the heart of a very out-of-shape, completely sedentary, overweight 30 year old man, or is it so far from normal that it would be better explained by a heart condition? I am starting to try to lose weight and get exercise, but I don't want to drop dead because I started putting new stress on what could be a structural problem.
Did your doctor at your recent visit offer any advice for your situation? If not, you may want to return for your specific symptoms as you described here. He/she may want you to undergo testing to see if your heart has a problem or if you are just out of shape. Ask your doctor if you can start an exercise program. Even a thirty minute daily walk would be beneficial.
1 Comments
My advice is to make sure to get an EKG from your doctor and to get some scans done of your heart. You want to be sure it is not due to a heart defect or condition. My husband is your age and went his whole life not knowing he had a heart defect that caused these type symptoms. Doctors never noticed either! Being out of shape could be the issue and that would be your best hope but this is a bit unusual for your age, unless your very overweight... Get checked fully! My husband did not have major issues either but mostly little alarming things like this
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the General Health Community
Top General Health Answerers
Nelson, New Zealand
Queensland, Australia
AL
way off the beaten track!, BC
Discharge often isn't normal, and could mean an infection or an STD.
In this unique and fascinating report from Missouri Medicine, world-renowned expert Dr. Raymond Moody examines what really happens when we almost die.
Think a loved one may be experiencing hearing loss? Here are five warning signs to watch for.
When it comes to your health, timing is everything
We’ve got a crash course on metabolism basics.
Learn what you can do to avoid ski injury and other common winter sports injury.
