KEY POINTS:
Crowds, carpark rage, cash worries and carols on a never-ending loop. The festive season is warming up and shopping madness is taking hold.
This week a Herald on Sunday investigation found that heading to the mall can really get the blood pumping - even for those who think
they've got it all together.
We measured the heart rates of Auckland couple Natasha Burfield and Simon Keith during a shopping trip and compared the results to a similar test conducted during their working days. Strapped up with Polar RS800 heart monitors, we sent them to Westfield St Lukes on Thursday evening with Burfield's 5-year-old son Luke.
The 33-year-olds had two hours to buy presents for everyone except Luke, whose presence seemed to up the heart rate, especially for mum.
The online media sales manager's heart rate averaged 115 beats per minute during the shopping trip, compared with 97 at work and a resting rate of about 69.
Keith's results weren't as variable, though shopping still got his ticker going more than his job as a self-employed painter.
Both were confident they could cope with the crowds and time pressure. "We'll be able to get most of it done, depending on the crowds - we like shopping," said Burfield, before heading to the crowded mall.
The couple had a list of 15 family members to buy for. "I have no idea yet what we'll get, but I can always get exchange vouchers," said Keith.
At 6.30pm the monitors were switched on, after a crawl up St Lukes Rd and into the mall carpark. In the back seat, Luke was already bored and launched into the first round of what would become his mantra for the evening: "Mu-um! Mu-um! What are we doing here?"
Within two minutes of joining the shoppers, Burfield's heart rate shot up from 88bpm to 129. It jumped to 134 as she tried to figure out which shorts to buy, then settled back in the low 90s. Keith, who had a "cruisy" day that started with a surf, remained relatively steady, hitting 87bpm at 6.35pm from his initial reading of 84.
With a pair of shorts and hat in the bag, Burfield was feeling better.
But things changed after a quick trip into K-Mart just five minutes later.
The couple failed to find anything as they negotiated the packed aisles.
"Too many people, I don't like K-Mart," said Burfield. "Look my heart rate's going up, 106, 116, 119."
Keith's rate shot up to 101 while making a call on his mobile to find out which DVD his nieces would like. "They already have everything."
At 7.05pm, with only two gifts bought, Burfield's rate hit the first of two spikes, as Luke dropped his icecream inside the CD Store.
A couple of failed attempts at Whitcoulls and Luke bargaining for a toy helicopter saw the couple quit St Lukes for the Warehouse in Balmoral. "We'll get everything there. I have faith in the Warehouse," said Burfield.
Back inside the car, their heart rates dropped before rising again inside the Warehouse, where they began to fill a trolley with gifts. But with 15 minutes to go, all three had had more than enough.
One of the toy aisles was so packed with products, the trolley couldn't get through. "What idiot put those there?" Keith said, wondering whether he'd gone crazy with gifts for the extended family. "I was gonna spend $10 each on the kids, but I think I'm spending a lot more. I've had enough."
The couple's heart rates hit their highest point just before the test ended, as they discussed the purchase of a wetsuit for Burfield. "I'm not wearing that," she said as he held up a pink and black one. Keith's rate peaked at 127bpm, and Burfield's at a massive 156bpm.
"That's quite amazing," said Ally Davy, sales manager at sporting goods firm Brittain Wynyard, as she downloaded the data.
Experts told the Herald on Sunday there was a direct link between increased heart rates and increased anxiety. Exercise, and stimulants like coffee or alcohol could also send heart rates soaring.
National Heart Foundation medical director Professor Norman Sharpe said the results were "remarkable". Burfield's average shopping rate of 115bpm was "quite high, that's like going jogging".
"It's interesting, the increase, especially for the woman, is quite high, more than you would expect.
"Of more importance are the spikes, which at 156bpm for the woman, equates to running up and down stairs."
Stress on the heart as experienced during the shopping challenge would not be good, especially if repeated over a long period of time. "The sensible recommendation would be to avoid this sort of rush and stress. Take breaks from shopping to relax, have a drink, and a Christmas mince pie - a small mince pie."
For Burfield and Keith it was mission accomplished - almost. They bought every present but one, but finished the test feeling tired, dehydrated and hungry.
"It was more stressful than I thought," said Burfield.
"I could do with a drink and a sit down," added Keith.
STRESS-FREE XMAS
Shopping is one of the most demanding aspects of the festive season, says Kerry Gibson, director of the centre of psychology at Massey University's Albany campus. She has some valuable tips for those hitting the shops.
* Organise yourself: Make lists of presents. Don't expect to wander around the shops until you find the right thing - write down some ideas to start with.
* Accept you won't always get it right: Be content if the person who receives the gift is grateful you thought about them.
* Don't spend beyond your means: Be clear on how much you will spend on each gift - before you are enticed by all the marketing.
* Time your trip: Be realistic about the time shopping will take, including parking and queuing.
* Use extended opening hours: Shopping in the cool of the evening can be less arduous. It's not all up to you: Share the tasks as well as the fun.
* Take a deep breath: Deliberately relax your neck and shoulders to release tension.
