Tamara Renno

October 17 2014

Everyday Activities and the Heart Rate:

Background: The heart is the mechanism in which the blood circulates around and transfers vital
nutrients to the far ends of the human body. This organ, 4 chambered and complex with valves, arteries,
and veins, pumps in certain increments that provide a steady rate for the blood passage ways. The heart
beats in a manner that reflects the activity that the body is enduring. A resting heart rate is the rate in
which blood flows while no activity is done. Usually, individuals who engage in more physical activity
often have a slower resting heart rate, meaning that less work is needed when simply resting. While
going about an everyday routine, certain, common activities provide the body with a bigger strain and
thus more work must be done to circulate nutrients and oxygen rich blood to the areas in need. The
reason for testing daily activities, instead of obvious physical exercise is to provide students with the
knowledge that the heart responds to activities that stray from the common resting, or walking
activities. Heart rates that differ, even slightly from the resting heart rate provide insight that the
number of beats are a response to the need for circulation. Overall, this lab will discuss the common
everyday activities, such as doing the dishes, walking up stairs, and mowing the lawn, that an individual
engages in that increase the heart rate.

Hypothesis: More vigorous, and physically straining activities, in this case, mowing the lawn, will
increase the heart rate of an individual. To make this hypothesis quantitative, the understanding of a
resting heart rate, usually ranging from 60 to 100 beats per minute, must be taken into account.
Because of this, the common activity of mowing the lawn for 10 minutes, will increase the heart rate by
approximately three times. Thus, the results will include a heart rate of around 200 to 230 beats per
minute after 10 minutes of mowing the lawn. This common activity, or independent variable is spoken
about in the hypothesis because this is the variable that will provide the most differing results from the
resting heart rate of a healthy individual.

Variables:
Independent Variable: The independent variable is the type of activity done by the individual. This
independent variable is controlled by maintaining the time in which the activity is done. Doing the
dishes, walking up and down the stairs, and mowing the lawn, will be tested each for 10 minutes.
Dependent Variable: The dependent variable, or the variable reflecting the results of the lab, will be the
heart beats per minute. This will be tested using the two finger method where the index and middle
finger are placed on the inside wrist, and the number of beats felt will be counted and recorded for one
minute.
Constants: To ensure that the lab is regulated, constants include the duration in which the activity is
done, and the recording method, as well as the day in which the activities are played out.



Procedure:
1. Acquire a stop watch, a lawn mower, and dishes to clean. Also be in access to a flight of stairs
commonly used.
2. Begin by recording the resting heart rate, or beats per minute before any activity is done.
3. Place two fingers on the inside of the wrist near the visible veins and count the number of beats
felt for one minute. Do this three times to finally create an average of the three resulting resting
heart rates.
4. Firstly, stand infront of the sink, and clean the dishes, with soap and water, for 10 minutes.
5. Use the most standard and common form of washing the dishes that would normally be done.
6. After ten minutes, record the heart rate. Do this three times, and create an average for the
three minutes.
7. Rest for an hour before moving on to step eight.
8. Stand below the staircase most commonly used, and begin the stop watch.
9. Slowly, and casually walk up the flight of stairs, then back down.
10. Remain at this speed for 10 minutes.
11. After ten minutes, record the heart rate. Do this three times and create an average for the three
minutes recorded.
12. Rest for an hour before moving on to step 13.
13. Step outside and acquire a lawn mower commonly used.
14. Start the lawn mower at the same time that the stopwatch is started.
15. Mow the lawn, as an individual normally would for 10 minutes.
16. Walk back and forth in constant motions, using both the legs and the arms.
17. After ten minutes, record the heart rate. Do this three times and create an average for the three
minutes recorded.

Simulated results:
The results of the lab should depict a table somewhat close to the following.

Resting Heart
Rate (no activity)
Dishes for 10
minutes
Staircase for 10
minutes
Mowing the Lawn
for 10 minutes
Beats Per Minute 76 bpm 126 bpm 177 bpm 238 bpm


Conclusion:
The purpose of the lab, again, was to numerically see the difference in heart rate after taking part in the
daily activities that the average human encounters. Although the most visited lab would be to see the
results of strenuous physical movement, such as running in place for 5 minutes, or doing a number of
jumping jacks, or sit-ups, the outcome of simulating activity that is simply common to the average
human shows another form of the effect on the heart.
Activities measured, such as mowing the lawn, walking up the stairs, and doing the dishes do in-fact
include physical movements. Although less vigorous than other activities, doing them shows that the
heart responds to the muscular movements of the body, despite what they may be. Lifting the arms and
moving them in circular motions while doing the dishes gave the result of more muscular movement, in
which oxygen was depleted and a new flow of blood needed to reach the arms. This phenomenon
should prove to be effective in any activity that the body endures, since the heart is the main
mechanism that gives muscles and such the blood flow they require.
The results shown should depict the increase in heart rate by about three times as much after mowing
the lawn for 10 minutes. Doing so required the release of energy through the use of muscles to move
the mower, as well as rapidly move across the field. The other independent variables did provide a
difference in the resting heart rate, and the heart rate after the activities, and thus proves that any form
of activity allows the heart to beat more rapidly, squeezing in and relaxing, as a pulse that provides the
movement of oxygenated and un-oxygenated blood to the muscles, and back to the heart.