How the Heart Works / F.I.T.T / and

CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS

Lesson #2

How the Heart Works

Factors Affecting Heart Rate• GENDER: adult females average 5 – 10 beats per

minute more than men due to supporting more body fat

• SIZE: Extra body fat causes the heart to work harder • TEMPERATURE: A rise in body temperature will raise

the heart rate eg. Hot tub, desert• DIGESTION: It takes extra energy to digest a meal• POSTURE: The more prone, the lower the heart rate.

Heart Terminology• Cardio - the heart – about the size of a fist• The Heart – a hollow organ containing 4 chambers• Septum – wall which divides the heart cavity into a “right

heart” & a “left heart”• Right Atrium/Left Atrium – holding tanks for the blood• Right Ventricle/Left Ventricle – acts as a pump• Vascular – systems of blood vessels• Veins – bring blood back to the heart• Arteries – take blood from the heart to the needy muscles &

organs

WHAT IS FITNESS?

• PHYSICAL FITNESS DEFINITON:• Ability of the whole body (muscles, skeleton, heart & other

body parts) to do work together efficiently• Ability to do the most work with the least amount of effort

2 CATEGORIES • HEALTH RELATED FITNESS• SKILL RELATED FITNESS

CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING

F.I.T.T. FORMULA• FREQUENCY• INTENSITY

• TIME/DURATION• TYPE

FREQUENCY

How often to exercise• Minimum – 3 X’s weekly• Maximum – 4-5 X’s weekly

INTENSITY

How hard to exercise• Minimum – heart rate above the lower limit of

your training range• Maximum – heart rate below the upper limit

of training range

TYPE

The kind of exercise you choose to participate in• Minimum – low impact exercise – walking• Maximum – high impact exercise - running

TIME OR DURATION

How long to exercise• Minimum – 15 minutes• Maximum – 30 minutes

TARGET HEART RATE • Your target heart rate is the threshold of

training you must work out at for the heart to receive any benefits

• Exercise within your target heart rate for 15- 30 minutes to get maximum benefits of exercise

Calculating your Maximum Heart Rate

• Target heart rate range = 70-85% of maximum heart rate

• Maximum heart rate = 220 – age– Fastest your heart can beat without collapse

HOW TO FIND THE LOWER END OF YOUR TARGET HEART RATE RANGE

• 220 – AGE• MULTIPY BY .70 • IF YOU SMOKE, ARE OVERWEIGHT OR RECOVERING FROM A

SERIOUS ILLNESS – MULTIPLY BY .65• 220-14 = 206 x .70 = 144 (fit individual)• 220-14 = 206 x .65 = 131 (unfit or unhealthy

individual)THIS IS THE LOWEST YOUR HEART RATE SHOULD BE TO

EXPERIENCE THE BENEFITS OF YOUR EXERCISE

HOW TO FIND THE UPPER LIMIT OF YOUR TARGET HEART RATE RANGE

• 220 – AGE• MULTIPY BY .85 • 220-14 = 206 x .85 = 175

THIS IS THE UPPER LIMIT YOUR HEART RATE SHOULD BE TO GET THE MOST BENEFITS FROM YOUR EXERCISE

Other Important Terms

• Recovery Heart Rate – time for heart to return to normal

• Resting Heart Rate – heart rate when the body is resting

Factors Affecting Heart Rate• GENDER: adult females average 5 – 10 beats per

minute more than men due to supporting more body fat

• SIZE: Extra body fat causes the heart to work harder • TEMPERATURE: A rise in body temperature will raise

the heart rate eg. Hot tub, desert• DIGESTION: It takes extra energy to digest a meal• POSTURE: The more prone, the lower the heart rate.