Ok, weird question for the cardio folks here. I've been doing treadmill every morning for the past 2 weeks -- and before that was doing it in the afternoon after work. I've upped my routine -- still doing 40-45 min, same speed (3.5 at my top) but I've started moving up the hills to 4 on the hill radar.

Usually my heart rate at its highest is about 135-140. Today it never got above 125! I thought it might be the machine I was on (which is the same one I always use) but i checked on the machine next to me and it was the same, 125. Because of my age and weight it says I'm in "cardio" range from 121 to 160, I believe it is. And I can't go much faster on the machine because my hips don't like to move that fast (due to busted tailbone a few years back).

So question: Is this good that my heart rate has decreased? Any other suggestions on the treadmill if I should increase it besides speed increase?

It means you are slowly building up leg strength and thus not taxing your heart as much to do the same amount of work.

The higher your heart rate, the more calories you are burning. You will need to go longer or harder to burn the same amount of calories as you were before.

I wear a heart rate monitor when I run (trying to get back into running now). I ran a 6-mile trail a couple times a week, and was burning between 800-900 calories when i started. After a couple months of running the same 6-miles I was only burning around 600 calories.

Another thing to keep in mind is that the training effect will make your body better at doing things the more you do them. Therefore, doing the task will be easier, therefore elevating your heart less. That is good news, your muscles are getting stronger. As for what to do with the treadmill, my opinion on that is not especially popular. Short answer, you need to work harder to continually challenge your body. Note, I did not say "longer" I said "harder" and yes I am aware of how that last sentence sounds to someone with a 15-year-old mentality.

sometimes I do have a 15 year old mentality

but yeah, thats why i've been increasing the hills on the treadmill.

You are on the right track. If you can't increase speed, you need to increase incline on a treadmill to increase the intensity of the workout.

I do run, but sometimes I don't want the bouncing and wear & tear on my knees so instead I'll crank up the incline and walk instead. I find my heart rate shoots up there just as quickly & highly as running.

Yeah, today I increased it to level 4 almost the entire time for 35 minutes. My heart rate went back up to 132 I think was the highest. But I'm not known for high heart rate (fortunately) ... I also have low blood pressure. Not sure that counts for anything though!

For Maximum fat burning, you need to be at about 75% of your maximum heart rate. Here's a website to help you calculate it.

http://www.rush.edu/itools/heart_rate/hrtrate.html

The more you exercise the more your heart adapts to the challenges you throw at it and therefor requiring even more hard work to really get it going and get your heart rate up. This is from a medical standpoint and from personal expierence. Good Job... Keep up the good work!!!

Funny, I was thinking about this thread this morning. I've been putting myself on "cardio" on the treadmill. But, in order for my heart rate to get up to 139, which it says is my optimum, I have to be at level 8.5 going at the speed of 5!!!!

I've always done a lot of walking, and used to do a lot of aerobics in my younger days. Wonder if that has anything to do with it lol. Because level 8.5 and speed of 5 is way too much for me for 30 minutes. Maybe 2 minutes .... So back to my hills I guess.

Vanity3. Thanks for posting the heartrate link.. I had no ideal what my target heart rate should be and now I do.. I do cardio everyday and just kept trying to get it as high as I could...lol

I spent 20 minutes on a stair climber yesterday, and when I finally quit from exhaustion my heart rate was 179. I know I am out of shape but I didn't realize how badly I was out of shape. I have been out of work for nearly a year and have only recently started working out. I need to get back in shape.