What is your pulse rate?

[AdamGB]

Ah, it seems I am not dying at all. My wife didn't explain properly what was being tested. It was my blood pressure and it seems that a rate of 102 isn't that bad, her rate of 84 is quite good. She is very healthy really, I am much more self destructive and insane. Still, I think I can do a lot to improve myself and will continue with my new regime.

Are you sure mate? You don't have a rate for blood pressure. It's usually measured in mm-Hg and you should have been given two numbers: systolic over diastolic... for example 120/80

Usually the systolic and diastolic will just go up or down in ratio... so you may have just been given the systolic. If so between 90-120 is desirable, over that is the beginnings of hyper tension but under that could be the beginnings of hyoptension.

A few guys here talked about their HR being up to 180 when working out - nothing to worry about.

A very generic equation you can do to get a ball park figure of your theoretical maximum heart rate is to take 220 and minus your age from it. (another, more precise one involves taking this number along with your resting heart rate... but you still end up with pretty much the same number! )

For example I'm 24 so my heart rate probably wouldn't be much higher or lower than 196 if I was excerting myself at my maximum. From that number you're supposed to be able to work out your different training thresholds etc... but it's not really that much use for the average exerciser.