Historically, during Heart Rate checks in the Women’s Beginning Walking and Running Clinic, many are surprised to discover that they are going too fast. This is a very important discovery because prior to HR checks, they don’t think they’re going too fast. They’re motivated and they’re moving forward. They think they’re doing just fine. Just a few weeks into a program, this “yucky” feeling occurs. Does this sound familiar? With beginners, “yuck” happens when you’ve overdone it.
Once you realize you are exceeding your Target HR Zone, and associate this with what your effort FEELS like, and what your ABILITY TO TALK is, then you allow yourself a chance to slow down. You gain new tools to experiment with, new tools to assist with the learning process of enjoying exercise and all its wonderful benefits.
Heart Rate checks, Conversation Pace and learning to “Listen To Your Body” are simply tools to use during this learning process. And it truly is a “process” in that it doesn’t happen overnight and it is ongoing. It takes years to really learn to “listen to your body” and trust and respect it, and then, to actually do what it says! This is where patience comes in. Be patient with the process, have fun learning how to use the tools, and trust your instincts. Then you will know when to slow down and when to pick it up, with confidence and pure enjoyment!
