Name:______Date:______

Personal Fitness

Coach Brunner

LAB: The Effect of Intensity on Heart Rate

Fact: Your heart rate or pulse can help you figure out your intensity needs for physical activity or exercise. The carotid arteries take oxygenated blood from the heart to the brain. The pulse from the carotids may be felt on either side of the front of the neck just below the angle of the jaw. This rhythmic "beat" is caused by varying volumes of blood being pushed out of the heart toward the extremities. When taking your radial pulse, arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the tissues of the body; veins carry blood depleted of oxygen from the same tissues back to the heart. The arteries are the vessels with the "pulse", a rhythmic pushing of the blood in the heart followed by a refilling of the heart chamber

What you will do: Find out the effects of different physical activities on your heart rate. Follow the steps and complete a graph to compare a variety of effects.

WARM UP: Imagine taking your pulse after completing moderate to vigorous activity. Would you expect this measurement to differ from your resting pulse rate? Why?

How to find your heart rate:

  1. Using your index and middle fingers on one hand, find the carotid (kuh-ROT-id) pulse on one side of your throat. Do not use your thumb, which has a pulse of its own.
  2. Press lightly until you feel a slight throbbing sensation.
  3. Using a clock or watch, count the number of throbs, or beats, in six seconds.
  4. Record the number of beats. Add a zero to get your heart rate for one minute.
  5. Now find your radial pulse on the thumb side of your wrist.

LAB: Find out the effects of different physical activities on your heart rate. Follow the steps and complete a graph to compare a variety of effects.

What you will do:

  1. Sit down or lie down and stay still and quiet for at least five minutes. Then take your pulse. This is how you estimate your resting pulse (the rate at which your heart beats at full rest). ______
  2. Perform each of the activities in the order shown. Allow one to two minutes of recovery timebetween each activity. After each activity, records the number for your pulse:
  3. Stand in place for two minutes ______
  4. Walk around the gym for one minute ______
  5. Jog slowly around the gym for one minute ______
  6. Skip, jump, or hop around the gym for forty seconds ______
  7. Do thirty jumping jacks ______
  8. Sprint for forty seconds ______
  9. Walk around the gym for three minutes ______
  10. Sit and stretch in place for two minutes ______
  11. Use the chart below to record your results. Make a dot to indicate the heart beats per minute for each activity. Then connect the dots with a thin line. Look over your results and see what conclusions you can make.

Sample Effects of Different Exercises on Your Heart Rate
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
Resting / Standing / Walking / Jogging / Skip/Jump/
Hop / Jumping Jacks / Spring / Recovery Walk / Recovery Sit