How does exercise intensity affect your heart rate?

The harder the muscles work, the more waste products are produced, and the more your brain increases your heart rate. Steady state Once the brain has increased your heart rate to the point where oxygen supply meets the demand of the muscles, your heart rate will plateau for the remainder of your workout. read more

If you did a more strenuous exercise—hula-hooping, for example—you may have seen a higher initial bump in your heart rate (such as reaching the middle of your target heart rate zone after just one minute of exercise), and then your heart rate stayed about the same for the remaining 14 minutes of exercise. read more

More: Calculate your Target Heart Rate. Over time, with chronic cardio training, our resting heart rate drops because each beat delivers a bigger burst of blood, and fewer beats are needed. This takes work off your heart and is why cardio exercise is recommended for heart health. However, cardiovascular exercise can also produce stress. read more