Module 12 : How to safely monitor exercise intensity

Transcription

1 Module 12 : How to safely monitor exercise intensity In this module you will learn: What exercise intensity is and how to measure it How best to measure the heart rate How and when to check the pulse How to spot signs of overexertion 12.1 Introduction While exercising, how hard you work has a huge impact on your stamina, endurance and the amount of calories you burn. The more intense the workout, the better your endurance, stamina and calorie burning capacity. But how intense a workout should be for a person, also needs to be looked into, as too intense a workout can cause serious injuries, fatigue, and exhaustion. It is important for a fitness instructor to keep an eye on the client s exercise intensity and measure it, and keep it at an optimal level for the person s physical condition. When we talk of exercise intensity, we actually mean the measurement of the amount of energy that is spent when exercising. The level of intensity is not the same for all and varies from one person to another. Intensity is the physical power that the body generates during

2 exercise. It is important to measure the workout intensity to prevent burn-outs and injury if one works too hard, or lack of results, if the workout is not intense enough. To get the optimum benefit from a workout, burn the right amount of calories and generate enough power to build up your stamina and endurance, a person has to find out his/her optimal intensity, to do so, workout intensity has to be measured. This brings us to the question of how to measure the intensity of a workout How to Measure Exercise Intensity While exercising the most common physical signs are sweating, heavy breathing, higher heart and respiration rate, and a rise in the body temperature. All these are indicators of the physical activity you are undergoing. The harder you workout, the more you sweat, and the quicker your breathing and heart rate. While measuring the exercise intensity, you have to keep an eye on these physical signs and monitor them to determine whether the intensity is optimal or not. There are several ways by which exercise intensity and its physical signs can be measured. These include: Target Heart Rate or THR

3 Talk Test Perceived Exertion Rating Scale Target Heart Rate Zone One of the first signs of increased exertion is a raised heart rate. This is the most popular method to measure workout intensity and it is also the most accurate and easy to use method to measure the workout intensity. The THR is not an exact figure, but a range between which the heart rate should fall to make sure that the workout intensity is at its optimum. In order to get the THR, the heart rate needs to be measured from time to time during the workout. Here is how to go about getting the THR: Calculate your MHR or maximum heart rate. This is related to your age. The calculation for estimating MHR = 220 Age. Find your THR Zone. This is the heart rate range that you should try to attain while exercising. It is calculated as a percentage of the MHR. For beginners and older people or frail people the THR should be between 40% 60% of the MHR. For all others it should be between 50% 75% of the MHR. This is also a good way to measure the fitness progress. Use the resting heart rate and THR Zone to see how the exercise routine has helped the client gain in strength and stamina over a period of a few weeks or months. If you maintain a chart of the RHR and THR the progress will be clear to you and the client. As the fitness level increases, the RHR drops and the client can workout longer at greater intensity and still remain within the THR Zone. The intensity level is determined by the THR as below: Low intensity or beginner level: 50% 60%

4 Medium intensity or intermediary level: 60% 70% High intensity or advanced fitness level: 75% 80% It is easy to measure the heart rate with the help of heart rate monitors. There are many easy to use strap on monitors available that will give you accurate readings while the clients exercise. If you have a client who has a medical condition, is overweight, over 40 years of age or hasn t been physically active for a while, it is best to ask them to get a medical check-up done to determine the RHR and the THR, before you start them off on an exercise plan. If they are on medication that can change the heart rate during exercise, make sure you know about it and that they get a professional evaluation done before beginning exercises. Talk Test This is another easy way to monitor the exercise level. While working out, if the client is able to hold a conversation or sing a song without any discomfort, then the workout level is low intensity and it can be increased. If one can hold a conversation but not sing, then the workout intensity is moderate. The intensity of the workout can be increased. If the client cannot talk, or can only say a word or two and is breathing hard, then the workout is of vigorous intensity and the intensity should be maintained at this rate. This is not a very accurate test as you cannot determine if the intensity is too great and should be reduced. When using the talk test you should increase the intensity gradually so that you can determine the point at which the client reaches the optimal intensity, and then keep the intensity at that level and not increase it any more.

5 Perceived Exertion Rate Scale This method is more comprehensive in measuring the intensity of a workout as it takes into account the change in: Heart rate Respiration rate Muscle fatigue and Amount of Sweating The rating is between 1 10 where 1 is the lowest intensity and 10 is the highest intensity. The exertion level is determined based on the number of signs the client is showing while working out. It is also known as Rate of Perceived Exertion or RPE. An RPE of between 5 7 is considered to be a good exercise intensity. Here is an RPE chart that is a good guide of intensity. Since it also has the MHR % for each stage, and the physical signs that appear at each stage, the trainer can easily gauge the intensity level for each individual. RPE Intensity Physical Signs 0 Rest None 1 Minimal None No sweating, 2 Low some change in breathing, conversation 3 Moderate and singing possible No singing, 4 Little Hard difficult to have a conversation, harder 5 Hard breathing, some sweating MHR % Type of Exercise None Warm up Recovery

6 Starting to 6 More Hard pant, moderate sweating, no Aerobic/ Anaerobic 7 Very Hard conversation possible Deep breathing, panting, 8 Extremely Hard inability to hold a conversation, heavy sweating Hard to keep up pace, 9 Maximum Effort gasping for breath, very heavy Maximum sweating, near exhaustion Ready to collapse, 10 Total Exhaustion Please Stop. This is maximum exertion How to Measure The Heart Rate One of the best ways to measure the heart rate is through a strap-on heart monitor. It will give you an accurate reading without having to disrupt the exercise session constantly to measure the pulse. In the

7 absence of a monitor, you can check the pulse by placing three fingers on the inner wrist starting from the base of the palm. Press lightly with your fingertips into the hollow of the tendon on the thumb side. You will feel a light throbbing, this is the pulse, or the rate at which your heart is beating. Count the pulse for a minute to get the accurate heart rate per minute. Or you can count it for 10 seconds and then multiply the pulse count you have by 6 to get your heart rate per minute. You could also take the pulse rate from the carotid artery which lies on the side of the wind pipe close to the jawline When to Take the Pulse Rate In order to get the MHR % you need to take the pulse at periodic intervals. It is important to know when to take the pulse. You should take the pulse: Before starting the exercise After warm up After exercising for 5 10 mins Continue to take the pulse throughout the routine at regular intervals until cool down Other Factors That Alter Heart Rate Besides exercise, there are several other reasons your heart rate may rise. These factors can be internal as well as external.

8 They include: Weather Hormones Strong emotions Stress Medicines Caffeine 12.6 Signs of Overexertion While exercising you have to be aware of the intensity of the workout. It is very easy to overexert during exercise, especially when the client is new and has not worked out before. It is imperative for a trainer to spot the signs of overexertion and intervene as soon as possible. If a client is left unattended and continues the exercise routine, overexertion can cause serious health problems. Under such circumstances, the trainer needs to intervene and stop the exercise and, if needed, call for medical help. These signs could include the following: Pain or pressure in the chest Extreme breathlessness Coughing or wheezing Excessive sweating Dizziness Loss of consciousness Nausea

9 Severe muscle cramps Acute pain in the muscles or joints Extreme fatigue that lasts for a long time after finishing the physical activity. Any of these symptoms could be the signs of a deep underlying medical problem. So it is best that you ask the client to consult a doctor or a medical practitioner before he or she resumes exercise again. Once the doctor gives a clean bill of health, then you have to examine the exercise routine to gauge its intensity. If the symptoms are due to intensity of the exercise routine, then you need to tone it down to a more moderate level, build up the client s stamina and endurance by increasing the exercise intensity slowly over a period of time. Once the endurance and stamina is up to a certain level, increase the intensity slightly to test if the client is ready to up the amp. Continue doing this until you have the desired THR and intensity for the client. When taking on clients, Physical Trainers need to know about the health conditions of their clients to avoid situations where an emergency could occur. You should advise your clients to get a medical check-up before they start exercising. This is especially important if: The client is over 40 years of age Has never exercised before Has not taken on any physical activity for a long time Is on a medication that can alter the heart rate Has a history of coronary problems. It is a well-known fact that the workout routines should be varied. If the clients are made to do the same workouts day in day

10 out, monotony sets in and the clients start to get bored. Another disadvantage of the same routine is that the same group of muscles are targeted each time and that can lead to muscle fatigue and injuries. But the biggest reason to vary the routines and intensity is to prevent the plateau. If the intensity and the routines of the workout are varied it leads to better efficiency, prevents boredom and helps to work different groups of muscles each time, giving the client a full body workout over a period of time. While designing a workout for a client, you should keep these things in mind and design the plan to intersperse high intensity workouts for seconds with medium intensity workouts. Studies have shown that this sort of interval training gives the maximum benefit, and is good for even cardiac patients, who seem to benefit from these little bursts of activity. Change the routines daily or weekly so that the client does a variety of workouts and exercises to avoid a plateau effect. Take a Quick Recap Test Module Summary Lessons learned It is important to measure the workout intensity to prevent burn-outs and injury Exercise intensity and its physical signs can be measured by the Target Heart Rate (THR), the talk test and the Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) The best way to measure the heart rate is with a heart monitor which can be strapped onto the body

11 It is important to know the signs of overexertion, such as: pain, extreme breathlessness, dizziness, nausea. [Tweet I just completed Module 12 of the Fitness Diploma Course ]