Introduction | Task | Process | Resources | Conclusion
IntroductionHeart rate is widely accepted as a good method for measuring intensity during running, swimming, cycling and other aerobic activities. It is also a good measure of a person's fitness level. Exercise that does not raise your heart rate to a certain level will not contribute significantly to cardiovascular fitness. So, how do we go about measuring our fitness level using heart rate?
TaskYour goal for today is to learn about how your heart rate impacts your fitness. You will learn how to find your resting pulse and determine your target heart rate (THR) zone for when you exercise. Later on, you will create a graph showing how close your heart rate becomes to your target heart rate zone after one minute of exercise.
ProcessRead each of the questions below and click on the corresponding images to find the answer.
1. What is your resting heart rate? (Hint: Find your pulse points first.)
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2. What is a target heart rate zone?
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3. What is a maximum heart rate and how is it calculated? Find your maximum heart rate.
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4. Now that you know your maximum heart rate, what is your target heart rate zone?
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If you have not done so already, calculate your resting heart rate. Next, perform jumping jacks for one minute. Take your heart rate again. (This is called your exercise heart rate.) We will graph this data in Microsoft Excel.
1. Was your exercise heart rate in your target heart rate zone? If not, what does this mean?
2. Do you think athletes take longer to reach their target heart rates compared to a regular person? Why or why not?
ResourcesHeart Rate Web Quest Worksheet
ConclusionBy now you should have learned about heart rate and its role in fitness. To get the maximum benefit out of any exercise that you should do, your heart rate should be within your estimated target heart rate zone!