Resting Heart Rate

A Measure of Health

By Yardley Montague, UVA Student Fitness Coordinator and Group Exercise Instructor

You may have heard the term “resting heart rate” but aren’t sure what it is and why it’s important. Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute when you are at rest. Importantly, it’s a good indicator of your cardiovascular fitness level and is a useful tool for determining your target heart rate during exercise.

How Do You Calculate Your Resting Heart Rate?

It’s easy. Do it when you wake up in the morning after a good night’s sleep, without an alarm clock, and before you have gotten out of bed. Find your pulse and count the beats for 60 seconds.

Lower Is Better

At rest, the average heart beats about 60 to 80 times per minute. This number is lower in physically fit individuals and generally increases with age. The resting heart rate provides insight into your heart’s health. Generally, the lower your resting heart rate, the better. The higher the number, the harder your heart is working when you are at rest.

The heart and the rate at which it beats are affected by our lifestyle choices, so it is important to know your resting heart rate and to make the daily decisions that keep your heart healthy. 

Easy Ways to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate

Drink water One of the most important factors affecting your resting heart rate is hydration. Non-water beverages contain sugar and calories but they do not hydrate your body as well as water does.  Since the amount of water our bodies need varies depending on the climate and our level of activity, try to drink water throughout the day before you get thirsty, rather than focusing on the number of cups of water you drink. Tune into your body and hydrate accordingly.

Hold the salt Another factor that impacts your heart is the level of sodium in the foods that you eat. A high sodium diet negatively affects both your resting heart rate and blood pressure so try to choose foods that are naturally low in sodium, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Avoid processed and packaged foods and try to limit the amount of meals you eat at restaurants. An entrée at a chain restaurant can contain more than a day’s worth of sodium in just one meal!

Take a time out Your resting heart rate is greatly affected by your stress level and the amount of sleep you get each night, so make sleep a priority (aim for 8-10 hours each night) and remember to create time during each day for some relaxation. Get a massage, practice yoga, meditate, take a bath with lavender oil, anything that helps you stress less! And remember, exercise is a great way to de-stress AND keep your heart healthy, so challenge your body in different ways through cardiovascular exercise most days of the week and resistance training 2-3 days a week.

More on Club Red

Find more information on heart rate and exercise in this archived Club Red article—a great resource on finding your target zone during exercise.

Source: American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org)