Pulse, breathing and exercise

What this chapter teaches

Pulse is the number of heartbeats in a minute, and breathing rate is the number of breaths in a minute. Both rise when muscles work harder, because they need more oxygen. A learner counts both before and after exercise and shows the results in a table and a bar chart. A resting pulse differs from person to person.

Three questions to ask

There is no one right wording. Listen for the idea.

1. How do you count a pulse for 15 seconds and work out a minute?
2. What do the two bars in the chart tell you?
3. Why do the heart and the lungs both speed up when you run?

After the chapter, the learner can

• Measure pulse and breathing rate before and after exercise
• Show the results in a table and a bar chart
• Explain why both rates rise during exercise