Find out how well you are looking after your heart by answering these questions and adding up your score.
1. How old are you?
<25 0 □
25-35 1 □
36-45 2 □
46-55 3 □
56-65 4 □
66+ 5 □
2. Do you smoke
Yes 4 □
No (but have in the past) 2 □
No 0 □
3. Do you have diabetes?
Yes 3 □
No 0 □
4. Has your mother or father suffered from heart disease (a heart attack, stroke, or told by a doctor)?
| So how did you score? |
0-8
Well done, you are clearly looking after yourself and are definitely on the right track to having a healthy heart. Keep up the good work and remember a healthy balance is the key to success.
9-18
Not bad, keep doing more of the good things that you're doing and cut out the bad. There's certainly room for improvement, so don't stop thinking about your heart!
19+
Whoa, you need to take a good look as your current lifestyle - it can definitely be improved! It's really easy to make a difference. Take action today - simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can have a big impact. |
Yes 3 □
No 0 □
5. How frequently do you carry out at least 15 minutes brisk walking, jogging, running, cycling, swimming, gym etc.?
0-1 times a week 2 □
1-4 times a week 1 □
5 or more times a week 0 □
6. Do you have high cholesterol?
Yes 4 □
No 0 □
7. Do you have high blood pressure?
Yes 4 □
No 0 □
8. How active is your everyday life (either work or home)?
Mainly sitting 3 □
On feet 2 □
On feet and using tools,
lifting 0 □
Very active 0 □
9. How often do you manage to eat at least 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day?
Never 2 □
Sometimes 1 □
Always 0 □
10. How often do you consciously choose foods lower in saturated and trans fats?
Never 2 □
Sometimes 1 □
Always 0 □
11. How often do you choose foods lower in salt?
0-1 times a week 2 □
1-4 times a week 1 □
5 or more times a week 0 □
Feel The Beat!
A heart rate monitor can tell you if you aren't putting enough effort into your exercise - or at risk of overdoing it.
But how much should you spend and what features do you want?
Here, we tell you all you need to know to make the right choice.
How Does A Heart Rate Monitor Work?
There are two parts to most models
The Chest Strap is a soft plastic strap worn around the chest just under the bust that reads the heart rate. They can be uncomfortable, particularly if you need to lose a lot of weight, so it may be best to delay buying one until you have lost some weight.
The wrist watch is the receiver that picks up the rate at which the heart is beating and stores and displays the data. How much information the monitor provides depends on how much you want to pay.
What Does A Heart Rate Monitor Do?
Quite simply, it measures the rate at which your heart beats when you exercise so you can monitor how hard you are working. You can set yourself a personal training zone linked to your age to make sure you do not train too hard or too easily by setting heart rate limits. You then get the most out of your training for the least effort!
How Do I Work Out My Training Zone?
This is linked directly to your age. The older you get, the lower your maximum heart rate should be or you can put your heart at risk by overloading it. Scientific research, monitoring thousands of people of all ages, has set maximum heart rate at 220 beats per minute, minus your age. If you are overweight, this drops to 209 minus age to allow for the extra pressure on the heart. The training zone is between 50%-95% of your maximum heart rates.
