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Mid-40s man. Is heart rate hitting low 180s during cardio safe, or should this be concerning? (lemmy.world)
submitted 1 month ago by tomkatt@lemmy.world to c/fitness@lemmy.world
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I'm in my mid-40s and I do cardio 3x weekly, and during my sessions, it's basically HIIT training. I try to keep my HR above 150 during my sessions, but it peaks in the low 180s intermittently.

Is this okay? My doctor noted potential concerns with getting my HR up that high, but it could be fine, she wasn't sure. I don't get any dizziness or anything (generally that happens if I sustain a heart rate above 185 for a bit). I'm not staying at 180 bpm, that's just the peak, I'm targeting an average HR of around 150-155 for my workouts.

In a 60 minute workout, I'll probably spend 10-15 minutes with my HR between 166 and 182 range.

Not sure if I should scale it down a bit or take it easier, or if this is fine.

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[-] peppersnail@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago

HR is quite individual, so you can’t say for sure either way from what you wrote. I think you should listen to your body, and if things feel off, find an expert and take their advice seriously. But otherwise, go nuts.

I started racing bikes in my 40s, and during peak efforts (VO2Max efforts to failure mostly), I would hit what I would consider my max heart rate at 170-something. I did this for many many years (10+).

I do have heart issues, but I think that’s from the more sustained endurance efforts that you get from training for bike racing at a very high level. High calcium scoring is a thing among endurance athletes like that.

this post was submitted on 31 Aug 2026
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