Noticing a high heart rate when jogging, what to do?

[GreenGiant91]

So I had my heart valve replaced back in November 2023 with a mechanical. I’ve been doing the couch to 5k running app on and off since November 2024. I have a Garmin fitness tracker and I notice my heart heart keeps getting high when doing these low intensity runs. I’m not going particularly fast but I keep hitting a heart rate of around 170 and I’ve seen it as high as 183. This just seems way too high for what I’m doing and I’m not sure if it’s the watch that’s off and the stress and anxiety of running causing the heart to spike more.


Any advice on this? My rest heart rate is always around 55/60 range and a walk I might be 100/120 depending on the inclines. No idea why jogging is causing this.

I’m also 33 years old and normal weight too.

 

[3mm]

I keep hitting a heart rate of around 170 and I’ve seen it as high as 183.

GreenGiant91 - 170 bpm should only be seen by a young person doing intense exercise. Perhaps the Garmin fitness tracker is reading incorrectly because of body movements. For example, my simple fingertip monitor will give reasonable numbers when I am on an exercise bike, but it won't even give a reading when I am walking on steps. Do other Garmin users report issues with heartrate readings during exercise?

If you stop for a minute does the reading go to a believable value?

I worry that you may be going into afib. I've had that happen. I could still exercise, but I felt kind of fatigued. You may want to discuss this with your cardiologist.

 

[GreenGiant91]

GreenGiant91 - 170 bpm should only be seen by a young person doing intense exercise. Perhaps the Garmin fitness tracker is reading incorrectly because of body movements. For example, my simple fingertip monitor will give reasonable numbers when I am on an exercise bike, but it won't even give a reading when I am walking on steps. Do other Garmin users report issues with heartrate readings during exercise?

If you stop for a minute does the reading go to a believable value?

I worry that you may be going into afib. I've had that happen. I could still exercise, but I felt kind of fatigued. You may want to discuss this with your cardiologist.

Hi,

So I contacted my nurse about this and she reassured me that it’s still a normal max heart rate for my age and it will come down the fitter I get. She thinks my anxiety could be spiking it too as I have a lot of health anxiety about the heart and fitness.

When I slow down my heart rate does come down. I think it’s something I’ll keep an eye on but I also think the garmin might be getting the number wrong sometimes even on walks.

 

[JoeWanderer]

Which Garmin watch have you got? Recent models have improved a lot in terms of precision, but still some would recommend you get a chest strap, which is supposedly more precise. Also I'd try to stop and try a manual pulse reading whenever you see these high numbers. You can also get some of these phone apps which use the camera to measure the heart rate, but I suspect they're less precise than the watches.

Some of the newer Garmin watches even have the functionality to detect AFib, but it doesn't seem to be available in the UK yet. More information on how it works here.

Still, I tend to agree with your nurse that, if you're just starting to run and depending on the pace and the incline, maybe 170 bpm is "borderline acceptable". Certainly worth keeping an eye on, though.

 

[GreenGiant91]

Which Garmin watch have you got? Recent models have improved a lot in terms of precision, but still some would recommend you get a chest strap, which is supposedly more precise. Also I'd try to stop and try a manual pulse reading whenever you see these high numbers. You can also get some of these phone apps which use the camera to measure the heart rate, but I suspect they're less precise than the watches.

Some of the newer Garmin watches even have the functionality to detect AFib, but it doesn't seem to be available in the UK yet. More information on how it works here.

Still, I tend to agree with your nurse that, if you're just starting to run and depending on the pace and the incline, maybe 170 bpm is "borderline acceptable". Certainly worth keeping an eye on, though.

It’s a vivoactive 5 so it’s new enough. Yeah the nurse said I’m within my max heart rate limits. I should add I haven’t done any running since early 2023 before becoming sick with endocarditis. My exercise has been mainly walks and yoga until I started running again. With the odd hike.

I’ll keep an eye on it and hoping it’ll come down over time. When I go from jog to a run my heart rate does come down to a normal number.

 

[pellicle]

I’m not going particularly fast but I keep hitting a heart rate of around 170 and I’ve seen it as high as 183

Have you actually counted beats yourself? This seems typical of reading errors created by "noisy connections"

 

[GreenGiant91]

Have you actually counted beats yourself? This seems typical of reading errors created by "noisy connections"

Haven’t counted but I know I could count the ticks haha. My anxiety would flare up when I see it that high and I get in my head too much thinking it’s at a dangerous level. But I now know it’s not dangerous number and I’m within my max limit. I’ll try to count them next time and not freak out

 

[pellicle]

Haven’t counted

My shortcut is to watch the sweep of my (mechanical watch) second hand and as it passes any of the markers (5, 10, 15, 20...) start counting zero, one two, three... until it gets to one second past the next marker (six seconds). Then multiply by ten (add a zero). Make sure you start with zero.

That's ball park

Extending out to 15 seconds (a full quarter dial) gives more accuracy but over 150 increases the chances of HR lowering (recovery) or MOD counting.

Having a mechanical makes this easier

I have zero faith in those watches (I used to have a Garmin, but any brand) giving accurate results at higher rates without pairing with a chest strap.

Best wishes

 

[Woodcutter]

I'm a lifelong runner and have regularly used a heart rate monitor (HRM) for almost 20 years now. I have always used Garmin products. Some thoughts based on my experience(s):

- chest strap was generally more reliable and consistent than the optical sensors (in the watch). [I always used a chest strap prior to my heart surgery but largely stopped (using the chest strap) after the heart surgery due to discomfort.]
- I first detected what was ultimately diagnosed as Afib thanks to the HRM. This was ultimately corrected with an ablation.
- The Garmin HRM's that I've used have all fairly regularly indicated a very high heart rate. I currently am still using a VivoactiveHR which must be at least 5 years old. "fairly regularly" for me means that several times a week it will start out reading 40-50 bpm high. Generally it stabilizes within a mile/10 minutes but occasionally it will remain incorrect for an entire run. "occasionally" is once or twice a month. What I do whenever I have any doubt about what my watch is reporting is to simply stop, put a finger on my neck (carotid) and count the beats in 10 seconds. Since I learned to do this over 40 years ago when I was running track as a kid, it's pretty much second nature.
- For me, the old rule of thumb of Max HR = 220 - age has always been close. So I don't find 170-180 for a 30 year old shocking. I remember the days when I'd finish a hill workout and count 30-32 beats in that 10 sec finger check. I'm over 60 now and 30 would be a major warning signal for me! - That is what happened a couple of years ago when my HRM was consistently reading what I thought was too high for my effort. This was post heart surgery (my Afib episode was prior). I had Aflutter that was ultimately addressed via ablation.

 

[d333gs]

What kind of time period does it indicate that you are at 170 ? Half an hour or more?
I have a friend in low medium shape in his mid 50s who will do 8hr bike rides who cruses at 155 for hours, which seems wild to me.
I don't have a Garmin but I do have anAppleWatch that will show spikes in BPM, but they are clearly errors.

 

[PAN]

Hey @GreenGiant91 , I wouldn't sweat those numbers at all. If your building fitness in your C25K and your seeing a peak of 170 then so be it. Once your resting rate remains normal I'd enjoy the training, keep consistent and see if your peak rate for the same effort is coming down a little over time. Enjoy getting out in the air, that's the main thing. I've been using a Garmin for a long time and find the accuracy quite good. As others have said, if in doubt a quick pulse check by hand is always an option. Keep up the good work !

 

[LWO]

So I had my heart valve replaced back in November 2023 with a mechanical. I’ve been doing the couch to 5k running app on and off since November 2024. I have a Garmin fitness tracker and I notice my heart heart keeps getting high when doing these low intensity runs. I’m not going particularly fast but I keep hitting a heart rate of around 170 and I’ve seen it as high as 183. This just seems way too high for what I’m doing and I’m not sure if it’s the watch that’s off and the stress and anxiety of running causing the heart to spike more.


Any advice on this? My rest heart rate is always around 55/60 range and a walk I might be 100/120 depending on the inclines. No idea why jogging is causing this.

I’m also 33 years old and normal weight too.

Green Giant, I have two comments: #1 try a polar heart monitor strap. I found that this HR monitor is more accurate while exercising. My Garmin worked fine at lower HR levels but was not reliable during higher intensity workouts. #2 Dr Peter Attia has a cardio/fitness advice that I have followed to restore fitness to pre-surgical levels: (strength training + 60 minutes cardio workout in HR zone 2 and 1 day a week in a higher 3/4 zone) - LW

 

[Lada1]

the figures are quite normal. All depends on the intensity (actual load) vs your physical max power(generally VO2max; specifically in running- CP, cycling-FTP).
If in doubt of the optical sensor reliability buy a chest strap/belt

 

[tjay]

So I had my heart valve replaced back in November 2023 with a mechanical. I’ve been doing the couch to 5k running app on and off since November 2024. I have a Garmin fitness tracker and I notice my heart heart keeps getting high when doing these low intensity runs. I’m not going particularly fast but I keep hitting a heart rate of around 170 and I’ve seen it as high as 183. This just seems way too high for what I’m doing and I’m not sure if it’s the watch that’s off and the stress and anxiety of running causing the heart to spike more.


Any advice on this? My rest heart rate is always around 55/60 range and a walk I might be 100/120 depending on the inclines. No idea why jogging is causing this.

I’m also 33 years old and normal weight too.

Do you have background in jogging/running, or this's the first time you're attempting it? If latter, congratulations. Running will do you good.

If you only started running in Nov'24 or 2 months back, how would you know what to compare to, if you don't have prior performance metric (as far as HR is concerned)? Even jogging slow is a step-up from, say, brisk or incline walking. HR increases as soon as you switch to jogging/running from brisk or incline walking. It’s normal.

As you continue jogging/running, your HR for a given level of effort will drop. Alternatively, your pace for a given HR will increase. Please continue running.

A general rule of thumb for MHR (Maximum Heart Rate) is (220 - age). For 33 year old (yourself), it's 220 - 33 = 187. If you're seeing your HR while jogging in the 170- 183 range (>90% MHR), it's because of the reason I explained above. You didn't mention how long (time or distance) of jogging caused that, but it was probably sustained for several minutes. You can always slow down a bit, and focus on increasing distance (or time or both). Eventually (after several weeks), you will see that your conditioning is improving and you would be running faster. It takes some time like anything else, but running for >30 mins a couple of times a week will do you really good. You may even try walk-jog for the first few months. Or incline walk-jog on treadmill. By the summer, you would be “running”, and hooked to it

And as others have already pointed out, optical sensors in the HR wrist watches (including Garmin) isn't very accurate. Internet is full of those HR issues people are facing and reporting. You can always wear a chest strap (Garmin has one) which's fairly accurate. But then again, don't worry about HR too much. Focus on building distance/time, and rest will fall in place over the next several weeks.

Keep running.

 

[GreenGiant91]

Do you have background in jogging/running, or this's the first time you're attempting it? If latter, congratulations. Running will do you good.

If you only started running in Nov'24 or 2 months back, how would you know what to compare to, if you don't have prior performance metric (as far as HR is concerned)? Even jogging slow is a step-up from, say, brisk or incline walking. HR increases as soon as you switch to jogging/running from brisk or incline walking. It’s normal.

As you continue jogging/running, your HR for a given level of effort will drop. Alternatively, your pace for a given HR will increase. Please continue running.

A general rule of thumb for MHR (Maximum Heart Rate) is (220 - age). For 33 year old (yourself), it's 220 - 33 = 187. If you're seeing your HR while jogging in the 170- 183 range (>90% MHR), it's because of the reason I explained above. You didn't mention how long (time or distance) of jogging caused that, but it was probably sustained for several minutes. You can always slow down a bit, and focus on increasing distance (or time or both). Eventually (after several weeks), you will see that your conditioning is improving and you would be running faster. It takes some time like anything else, but running for >30 mins a couple of times a week will do you really good. You may even try walk-jog for the first few months. Or incline walk-jog on treadmill. By the summer, you would be “running”, and hooked to it

And as others have already pointed out, optical sensors in the HR wrist watches (including Garmin) isn't very accurate. Internet is full of those HR issues people are facing and reporting. You can always wear a chest strap (Garmin has one) which's fairly accurate. But then again, don't worry about HR too much. Focus on building distance/time, and rest will fall in place over the next several weeks.

Keep running.

Hi,

When I exercised before getting endocarditis and having the valve replacement I didn't own a fitness tracker so I have no data to compare to. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and bad health anxiety since my surgery. I had a rough time with it all being in hospital for over 3 months in total, was told after surgery I was in heart failure which was then clarified as left ventricle dysfunction which has been resolved since (no longer have this issue). I start and stop the running as I get alot of anxiety around how I feel with it. I think I overthink the HR side of it so adds anxiety which fuels bodily sensations. I do notice when I go for walks and don't feel anxious my HR is very much normal and on the lower end, if I go for walks or runs when feeling anxious then my heart rate goes up more than what I would see as normal for the level of activity. Might be a case of mind over matter around this.

 

[dornole]

For sure anxiety can very much spike your HR, as I'm sure they've told you. Sorry about the PTSD and health anxiety, I hope the fact you have a dx means you are in care. My son has severe health anxiety and has greatly improved with therapy and medication after a few months.

Be kind to your body and mind as you heal and do the things that make you feel stronger and more capable and happier. Wishing you well.

 

[GreenGiant91]

For sure anxiety can very much spike your HR, as I'm sure they've told you. Sorry about the PTSD and health anxiety, I hope the fact you have a dx means you are in care. My son has severe health anxiety and has greatly improved with therapy and medication after a few months.

Be kind to your body and mind as you heal and do the things that make you feel stronger and more capable and happier. Wishing you well.

Thanks!

I’ve been doing therapy and it seems to be one step forward and 3 steps back annoyingly. I was much better back in October/November time but since Christmas it’s been pretty rough with the anxiety. Hoping it passes soon but I really want to be more active just that little voice at the back of my mind holds me back a lot

 

[tjay]

Hi,

When I exercised before getting endocarditis and having the valve replacement I didn't own a fitness tracker so I have no data to compare to. I have been diagnosed with PTSD and bad health anxiety since my surgery. I had a rough time with it all being in hospital for over 3 months in total, was told after surgery I was in heart failure which was then clarified as left ventricle dysfunction which has been resolved since (no longer have this issue). I start and stop the running as I get alot of anxiety around how I feel with it. I think I overthink the HR side of it so adds anxiety which fuels bodily sensations. I do notice when I go for walks and don't feel anxious my HR is very much normal and on the lower end, if I go for walks or runs when feeling anxious then my heart rate goes up more than what I would see as normal for the level of activity. Might be a case of mind over matter around this.

This additional background helps a lot.

Rest assured that many of us (myself included) experience some form of anxiety at some point (before or after surgery) for different reasons related to the state of our heart, and it impacts our daily life and not to mention physical activity. For example, when you're jogging, the HR is already high enough under normal conditions but then overthinking if it's because of anxiety actually causes it to spike further (and/or cause breathlessness, difficulty breathing etc), and cause anxiety symptoms in the process. Our (false) perception of anxiety actually ends up causing it in reality. We tend to become too imaginative and heart reacts the way it's supposed to react under those circumstances. It's a vicious circle. I've felt it too, to assure you.

Rest assured there's nothing wrong with your HR (that you reported in your original post) when you are trying to push harder thru jogging. Hope this assurance will help with relieving of your symptoms. It's ok if you've started using the HR watches but please don't look at them "while jogging". You may assess/analyze it afterwards if you want to track your progress overtime. And use chest strap in that case, since pulses at wrist aren't reliable. Alternatively, just run/jog without having to worry about the HR (or watches etc). Let that not be a cause for anxiety, anymore.

Running is known to assist with anxiety, so I would suggest to carry on. Perhaps, do walk-jog initially (e.g. 2 min jogging then 1 min brisk walking, and repeat). Gradually, you can increase jogging portion while reducing walking, and eventually jogging continually. This will manage your HR and perhaps anxiety levels too, initially.

Please assured that there's nothing wrong with your HR. You're doing fine there.
All the best and keep us posted.

 

[JoeWanderer]

I thoroughly agree with tjay's comments, specially the idea of doing walk-jogging at first (this is actually what I intend to do to get back running after surgery). I'd only suggest that, as you get more comfortable with running, keeping an eye at your metrics (such as pace and HR) during running is quite helpful as a way to check the effectiveness of your training and make adjustments even during your workout - some people actually train based on HR targets, and speed up and slow down according to the immediate numbers.

For now, though, I'd say the most important "metric" is to gauge how you're feeling while performing whatever physical activities. If you feel exhausted, take it easy - I'd only avoid abrupt stops, if you feel spent while running slow down and walk a bit, then stop.