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Articles
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Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Your Metabolic Rate
Understanding your basal metabolic rate can help you understand why exercise is so important to your good health. Your metabolic rate is the amount of energy (calories) your body uses for involuntary functions like breathing, heartbeat, and generating body heat. About 60% of the energy you use goes toward these activities. The remaining energy is used by activities you control, such as walking and exercising.
While everyone's metabolic rate is different, people who are physically active and exercise usually have a higher metabolic rate. Increasing your physical activity increases your metabolism and the calories burned, enabling your body to work more efficiently. That's another reason why it's so important to exercise throughout your lifetime.
Checking Your Pulse
Your heart works hard to pulse blood through your system. A pulse is a regular, recurrent expansion and contraction of an artery produced by waves of pressure as your blood leaves the heart's left ventricle. A normal pulse for the average adult is 60 to 80 beats per minute. What's yours?
To find out, place your index and second finger on the side of your neck, just below your jawbone and midway between your chin and your ear. Count the number of beats for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to get your pulse rate for one minute.
Keep in mind, your pulse rate may be increased with exercise, stress, and certain medications. Be sure to discuss these factors with your health care provider to maintain your individual targets.
Burning Calories
There are many ways to make exercise a part of your healthy lifestyle. Remember, your metabolic rate remains increased up to 12 hours time after exercise, so you will continue to burn extra calories even after you have stopped activity.
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