Is this what it feels like to be unfit?

November 7, 2008 10:23 PM

My recovery time for my pulse rate is unusually long, but I haven't exercise since mid last year. Am I just unfit or what?

I've been bad. I haven't been to the gym or done any significant exercise for over a year. I've gained heaps of weight and become a general all-round slob.

So I got fed up with myself a couple of weeks ago and got back into my old routine. Problem is my spin classes are now quite tiring, which is a new experience. It takes ages for my pulse rate to return to normal, like an hour or more. I've always been a fairly fit person and had a really quick recovery time for my heart rate so this is rather unusual.

Is this just a case of "duh, this is what it feels like to be unfit" or should I be worried?

posted by BAKERSFIELD! to health & fitness (8 comments total)

Oh yeah and I'm not going hard out as if I had been going to the gym all along either. I'm taking baby steps and seeing a personal trainer etc. so it's not that.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 10:26 PM on November 7, 2008

Um, "duh, this is what it feels like to be unfit" .

Random explanatory website.
posted by jacalata at 11:21 PM on November 7, 2008

What kind of recovery rate are you talking about? Like going from 180 to 160 and then staying there for an hour, or going to 100 and staying there for a while until eventually going back down to 60-70?
posted by 0xFCAF at 1:13 AM on November 8, 2008

Second 0xFCAF, or in other words, this thread is useless without pics numbers.
posted by knave at 2:10 AM on November 8, 2008

Lack of regular exercise and increased weight will lead to a higher heart rate. Basically, your muscles aren't as efficient at metabolizing the oxygen in your blood and they have to move more dead weight (fat) around. That is to say, being unfit leads to higher heart rates. Recovery time is more complicated, but mostly analogous: your muscles are less efficient at flushing waste and absorbing oxygen and nutrients and it takes more time. All of that is to say: yes, you're probably unfit.

Although absolute numbers will help, I wouldn't worry unless you have severe and lasting dizziness or you see no improvement in your heart rate as you continue your program. Above all, listen to your body and seek medical attention for acute or lasting pains.

Getting a physical or stress test certainly couldn't hurt. A health professional would hopefully detect any problems, give you some baseline numbers, and give you exercise advice specific to your body and fitness level.
posted by GPF at 7:10 AM on November 8, 2008

Yes, you're just unfit. I wouldn't read more into it than that.
posted by jason's_planet at 11:13 AM on November 8, 2008

Yes. I had a heart stress-test a couple of years ago and they told me off for not getting enough exercise. I asked them how they knew and they said the time it takes to get the heart rate back down to baseline is a dead giveaway.
posted by media_itoku at 12:16 PM on November 8, 2008

It takes ages for my pulse rate to return to normal, like an hour or more

That's really not good to be putting your body under that kind of stress, particularly in its current weak-ass condition. Seriously, take it easy and get into it slowly. The point it to get more healthy.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:47 PM on November 8, 2008