What heart rate is too high during exercise?
Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS
A rough ceiling is 220 minus your age. Working at 50 to 85 percent of that covers most goals, and being able to talk in short sentences is the practical test of moderate effort.
Going near maximum briefly is normal in hard training for healthy people. Red flags are different: chest pain, unusual breathlessness, lightheadedness or palpitations during exercise mean stop and get assessed before the next session.
If you take heart or blood pressure medicines, some cap your rate artificially, so effort and breath are better guides than the number alone.
Go deeper, free
If you are buying a fitness tracker
Step count and resting heart rate are the two numbers that matter, and any major-brand band tracks both well. You do not need the expensive model to walk more.
See fitness trackersAs an Amazon Associate, AskDoc earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.
Is this your situation right now?
General answers only go so far. A doctor can look at your numbers and history and give you a written answer about you.
People also ask
Health education, not personal medical advice. In an emergency, contact your local emergency service now.