Hello, dear readers, and welcome to our monthly letters column. We have some interesting letters, so we'll dive right in.
A recent column about target heart rate and beats per minute during exercise is drawing interest. We heard from a reader in Los Angeles who feels his exercise data challenges the age-based guidelines. "I am a 79-year-old competitive cyclist who has trained for about 40 years and still works out six days a week. The target heart rate guidelines put 85% of my maximum at about 120 bpm," he wrote. "But I routinely exercise well above that, sometimes exceeding 160 bpm, with no ill effects. Maybe these guidelines are unrealistically low for some people and need to be updated."
Congratulations on such an impressive level of fitness. Your experience illustrates why the target rates we discussed in the column are guidelines. They are based on averages that are helpful to many individuals. However, they are unable to address the many variations in health and physical fitness. For the average adult engaged in steady exercise, target heart rate calculations can be helpful. But very fit adults, no matter their age, may indeed fall outside these ranges.
A column about the spread of tick habitats has generated a bit of mail. A reader in Tennessee who lives alone shared his solution to removing a tick he could not reach. "I discovered a tick at the base of my spine that was impossible for me to remove with tweezers. I filled a thick washcloth with hot water and held it over the tick, reheating it several times," he wrote. "After four applications, the tick was gone from my spinal area. Then I felt it running across my rib cage and easily grabbed and disposed of it. Perhaps this information will help some of your readers."
Dislodging the tick with heat was a logical solution in a difficult situation. However, it's important to note that it can irritate the tick and cause it to release additional fluids into the bite. At the same time, you are correct that an attached tick should be removed as quickly as possible. When it can be reached, your first choice of using fine-tipped tweezers is the recommended method.
In response to a column that mentioned people who exercise regularly but don't enjoy it, a reader shared his discovery. "After I received a titanium aortic valve 22 years ago, my surgeon told me to exercise. I went to the gym and didn't like it, but I forced myself to do it," he wrote. "A neighbor suggested Aquafit, which I tried and loved. Been doing it six days a week for the last 20 years. So, if you don't like the gym, try Aquafit -- or something else. You may find you love doing exercise."
We're glad the full-body pool workout of Aquafit (a water aerobics class) proved to be a good match for you. We hope that other reluctant exercisers will consider looking for alternatives that may make their workouts a pleasure and not a chore.
(Send your questions to [email protected], or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1955, Los Angeles, CA, 90024. Owing to the volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.)
