Children in Form 6 have been exploring what fitness means in their science lessons. They have learnt to take their own pulse, measuring their resting heart rate in the process. In one of the experiments, children undertook two minutes of vigorous physical activity. They then measured their heart rate (beats per minute - bpm) immediately after stopping, then every two minutes after for a total of ten minutes. By analysing the group data, the children were able to identify the child who had the shortest recovery period (when their heart rate returns to their resting heart rate).

However, this may not be the most accurate measure of fitness as a child’s resting heart rate could be very high to begin with. Maybe it was not a true reflection of their resting heart rate. Perhaps, the child did not exercise as fully as others? Or, maybe the children did not measure their bpm accurately. The children wondered whether a lower resting heart rate might be a better indicator of fitness. One thing is for sure, these questions can only be answered by further investigations.