Know your heart rate to know your fitness

For those of you who take a break from playing tennis through the cold, winter months, you might like to keep an eye on your fitness levels during that time.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to check your resting heart rate. Your resting heart rate is basically how many beats per minute  your heart does whilst you are resting. The fitter you are the lower this rate will be. Top athletes can have a resting heart rate as low as 40 beats per minute. Most people have a resting heart of around 70 beats per minute.

From a medical point of view, it is thought that rates that are above 70 can indicate a greater risk of heart disease. The good news is that you can lower your heart rate with exercise. (Before starting an exercise programme always check with your doctor first if you have higher heart beat or  if you have any related medical problems).

So keeping an eye on your resting heart rate will help you assess your level of fitness. When taking your heart beat, sit down, relax and try to take it in the morning…or just before you get out of bed.

Stay fit, stay healthy, stay playing!