Can Exercising in Bed Make the Heart Rate Go Up?

Exercising anywhere -- even in bed -- will make your heart rate go up. In fact, heart rate is one way to gauge the intensity of your workout. When your heart rate reaches a certain number of beats per minute, you can feel confident that you're receiving the health benefits of cardiovascular, or aerobic, exercise. While this is more difficult to achieve in bed than on the ground, it is possible to get an effective cardio workout without getting up.

  1. About Heart Rate

    • Your heart rate is both an indicator of your present health and a way to measure exercise intensity. Your resting heart rate is your slowest rate, and represents the number of beats per minute that occur while you lie still. According to the American Heart Association, a healthy resting heart rate for adults is 60 to 100 beats per minute, although athletes' rates may be lower. Any physical activity will increase your heart rate, even if you perform it in your bed. The more intense your activity, the more your heart rate will rise.

    Heart Rate and Exercise

    • For cardiovascular health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend aerobic workouts that reach the target heart rate for moderate activity. This is 50 percent of your maximum heart rate, which you can estimate by subtracting your age from 220. For example, a 35-year-old has a maximum heart rate of 185 beats per minute, and would need to reach 92.5 beats per minute for a moderate workout. It is possible to achieve this in bed if you continuously move a major muscle group, such as by working your legs in a pedaling motion. If you reach 70 percent of your maximum heart rate, you are exercising at a vigorous level.

    Benefits of Cardio Exercise

    • When you reach your target heart rate during cardio exercise, you allow yourself to reap numerous health rewards. These may include increased heart and lung strength -- as these organs work harder, they become more efficient. Cardio exercise can also elevate levels of "good" HDL cholesterol while lowering "bad" LDL cholesterol, help prevent or ease Type 2 diabetes and reduce blood pressure. You'll also increase your stamina, boosting your ability to power through everyday tasks. Plus, you'll burn more calories, leading to more-effective weight management.

    Exercise Guidelines

    • Although exercising in bed is better than not exercising at all, you'll enjoy greater benefits with a well-rounded routine that includes activities such as walking, cycling and running. Aim for 150 to 300 weekly minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, or 75 to 150 minutes per week of vigorous aerobic exercise. Twice weekly, perform resistance exercises -- on the ground instead of in bed, if possible -- such as leg lifts, pushups and squats.