Exercise tests
Exercise tests are one of the best ways to find out how your heart works when it has to beat faster. Knowing what happens when your heart beats faster helps us to know what activities you can safely enjoy.
Your doctor can provide your exercise test results on the back of this page.
Most of the activities that you do during a regular day require only half of your maximum capacity for exercise. If your exercise test results indicate you achieved more than 50% of the predicted effort, you should have no trouble playing with friends or doing chores.
Benefits of being physically active:
- Builds confidence
- Strengthens bones and muscles
- Makes you feel good
- Improves sleep
- Improves health and fitness
- Improves concentration
Remember: talk to your doctor or nurse if you don't know what types of activities you should do.
Keeping your heart strong
- Ensuring that your heart is as strong as possible is very important.
- Our hearts are made of muscle, and like all muscles the heart has to exercise in order to stay strong.
- The way to exercise your heart is to make it beat faster. Aim to reach 60% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. This range is known as the Target Heart Rate Zone.
- The Talk Test is an easy way to stay in the Target Heart Rate Zone. If you are doing an activity that lasts for more than a couple of minutes, you should be able to talk easily. You are exercising enough to strengthen your heart when you are doing as much as possible while still being able to talk.
Type of test
☐ Bruce treadmill
☐ McMaster bike
☐ James bike
☐ Other: ______________________________
Monitoring
☐ ECG only
☐ ECG and VO2
Reason for stopping
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Target heart rate zone for aerobic exercise
__________ BPM
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