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I'm not that overweight (around 77kg for 1.81m). Last week I went for a trial at a gym and tried a treadmill for the first time in my life, I got to 180bpm in around 30secs at 5kph. I don't do much exercise besides walking 5 to 10km almost everyday and the rare (and slow) 10mins run. The bpm were measured by the treadmill itself, not sure how accurate that is.

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Threadmill lies to me pretty much all the time. In most cases it doesn't even work for me. Unless you have a medical condition, it is very unlikely that you'll get 180bpm from 5km/h walk (mine usually don't go above 150 even going uphill with 20 pounds weight vest on my shoulders). 180bpm is 3 hearbeats every second - pretty easy to check with finger on your wrist.

5kph is walking pace (a shade over 3mph) and I'd guess that 180bpm was inaccurate - may be a doubled 90bpm?

Anecdata: Last summer I was considerably heavier than 77kg, carrying 5kg of stuff, walking 51km in 10 (hot sunny) hours, and averaged 105bpm (max of 119bpm).

Yeah, maybe the reading was incorrect but I do get a spike in bpms whenever I run or climb stairs. I don't get it when walking or weight training. Might need to check this with some exam...

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