My Heart Rate Curve

Students take their pulse at rest, after walking, jogging, and sprinting, and during recovery, then plot the data as a heart rate graph. They see how the heart responds to different intensities and why recovery matters.

How to play

1. Hand out a worksheet with a table for 6 checkpoints and blank graph axes. In pairs, practice taking a 15-second wrist pulse (3 min).
2. Checkpoint 1: resting pulse, seated. Checkpoint 2: 2 minutes of brisk walking around the cone loop, then a pulse check (4 min).
3. Checkpoint 3: 3 minutes of easy jogging, then a pulse check. Checkpoint 4: two 40 m sprints with 30 seconds of rest, then an immediate check (6 min).
4. Checkpoints 5 and 6: pulse checks at 2 and 4 minutes into walking recovery (5 min).
5. Each student multiplies their counts by 4 and plots the curve by connecting the points (4 min).
6. Debrief: compare curve shapes without using names and discuss why heart rate drops faster for some people than others (2 min).

Rules

• Take the pulse right when you stop, without waiting.
• Sprints are run in separate lanes, slowing down before the last cone.
• Data is personal: nobody has to show their graph.
• Anyone with discomfort skips the sprint and does a fast jog instead.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: replace walking, jogging, and sprinting with wheelchair pushing at three different speeds.
• Autism: a partly filled-in table with picture symbols for each checkpoint.
• Lower fitness level: sprint at whatever intensity feels hard for you.

Learning goals

• Measure heart rate at different exercise intensities.
• Plot and interpret a heart rate graph.
• Value recovery as part of healthy training.

Equipment for a class of 25

• worksheets: 25
• pencil: 25
• stopwatch: 13
• cones: 8

Teacher tip

Bring a sample curve so students can see the expected shape. If students struggle to count, have the partner count while the person being measured focuses on breathing.

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