What Does Your Resting Heart Rate Tell You?

A good way to measure your health is through your actual heart rate. A quick and easy way to measure is to take your index and middle fingers and place them on your wrist or on the side of your neck until you feel a pulse. Count the number of beats in 30 seconds and then double that number to get your beats per minute or bpm.

RHR- Resting Heart Rate:

Your RHR can be one of the most important numbers in helping you gauge your fitness and health. It is the number of times your heart beats in one minute when you are at rest. It is the action of the heart contracting and pumping a reduced amount of blood while you are not as active. A stronger heart will contract stronger and less frequently, as it can pump more blood with each contraction. Typically we want the number to be between 60-100 bpm for the average adult, or 40-60 bpm for trained athletes. To get this number you would wear a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor while you sleep. Otherwise, you can manually take your resting heart rate using the method above upon first waking, before moving and getting out of bed.

What can affect your heart rate?

There are several factors that can affect your heart rate:

-medications

-temperature and humidity

-age/gender

-fitness level

-exercise

-caffeine

-other factors...

What can affect your RHR?

Several above factors are taken into consideration when determining your healthy resting heart rate. There are other factors that can influence your RHR such as:

-chronic stress

-not enough sleep

-overtraining or exercising too much

How can I improve my resting heart rate?

To improve your RHR, work on the following:

-Consistently get 30 minutes of daily exercise- alternate low intensity/impact with higher intensity modalities.

-Maintain a healthy body fat percentage- ideally under 25% for both men and women.

-Reduce stress- try daily walks, yoga, tai chi, meditation, etc

-Get adequate sleep- aim for 7-8 hours each night

-Eat a healthy whole foods diet - eliminate processed foods and sugar

-Don't use tobacco products

Resting Heart Rate Chart for men and women:

(https://www.pinterest.co.uk/explore/resting-heart-rate-chart/)

If you have any concerns regarding your heart rate, it is always best to consult your doctor.