I am sure you have heard the term or be asked about your resting heart rate at one point or another. Whether it was you healthcare provider or the trainer at the gym, you might have been unsure as to how to accurately answer such a question. So let’s start with the basics.
What is “Resting Heart Rate”?
You resting heart rate (RHR) is essentially the rate at when your heart is beating when you are completely calm – or “at rest”. According to the American Heart Association, the average adult’s RHR should be between 60 and 80 beats per minute (bpm). Physically fit – or “in shape” – people tend to have a much lower RHR. For example, at his peak physical condition, Lance Armstrong’s RHR was 32 bpm (but please be cautioned that this is very low and may even be considered a result of being overtrained). Your RHR also tends to rise with age, even in perfectly health people. Your pulse measures how quickly your heart must beat in order to keep your blood flowing throughout your body. Each pulse beat is a heart muscle contraction.
Why does “Resting Heart Rate” matter?
As I mentioned, a low RHR is an indication of being physically fit. If you think of yourself as a plumbing system with your heart as the main water pump you can visualize what a pipe blockage would do to your body. If your artery is in anyway constricted or blocked your heart must pump more often to push your blood through you cardiovascular system. Additionally, if you body is not well conditioned it will not extract the oxygen from your blood as efficiently as it should. This also results in the need to push more blood, more quickly through your system. Going back to the pump/heart comparison, the harder it works, the less time it will last. Some people say that your heart only has a certain number of beats in it. Although this has never been proven, it is fair to say that your heart is only going to last so long, and the harder you make it work (like under stressful condition, such as being out of shape.)
You can also use your RHR to determine your target heart rate during exercise. Depending on your desired level of physical activity, you can estimate your target heart rate. You must first determine you Maximum Heart Rate (220 minus your age {in years}). Now, subtract your resting heart rate from your max heart rate. Take this number and multiply it by your target – between 60 and 80%. If you’re going for fat burning, for example, multiply the number by 60 percent. Finally, add that number to your resting heart rate to determine your target heart rate.
For example, if your RHR is 75 and you are 30 years old (max. HR of 190bpm) and you want to be working at 80%(high intensity aerobic exercise) you want your heart rate to be at 167 bpm.
Some people say that a more effective way of measuring for a healthy heart rate is to measure the amount of time it takes for your heart to return to your RHR after you finish exercising. However, no predictive data has been obtained to generalize how long it should take.
Ways to Lower you Resting Heart Rate
- Get more aerobic exercise – aerobic exercise is defined as exercise “performed at moderate levels of intensity for extended periods of time.” (Wikipedia.org) So activities marked by frequent starts and stops is not technically aerobic. You need to rise to a higher heart rate and maintain it for at least 20 minutes to get the benefits of aerobic exercise.
- Maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Don’t Stress! – high levels of stress will raise your RHR considerably
One other point about heart rate
Do not rely on devices attached to the gym equipment to measure your heart rate. Unless you take the time to calibrate the device to your own body it will not be accurate. You are better off to use a watch device or chest wrap.
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