Your Resting Heart Rate can Give Clues to Your Health Status

Your resting heart rate is one factor that can identify potential health problems and gauge your heart health.

A healthy heart does not necessarily beat at the same speed all the time: the rhythm speeds up or slows down to adapt to the activities it performs and depending on the oxygen it needs to carry out them.  So what is considered a normal heart rate varies from person to person and depending on their circumstances.  In principle, a very high resting heart rate or a maximum heart rate that is too low can be indicators of cardiovascular risk or another medical condition.

 

Why knowing your resting heart rate is key

When you are at rest, your heart pumps the least amount of blood possible to supply your body with the oxygen it needs.  Although the resting heart rate  The established heart rate ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute, however, factors that can affect your resting heart rate include stress, anxiety, hormonal changes, certain medications, or level of physical activity.

 

What are your ideal resting heart rate and maximum heart rate?

A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute.

In general, a lower resting heart rate implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness, which would be ensured by a resting heart rate of less than 70 beats per minute. For example, a well-trained athlete may have a normal resting heart rate of around 40 beats per minute.

On the other hand, the maximum heart rate is the rate at which the heart beats when it is trying its best to meet the body's oxygen needs. The maximum heart rate plays a fundamental role in determining aerobic capacity, that is, the amount of oxygen that one is able to consume.

Several large-scale observational studies have indicated that high aerobic fitness is associated with a lower risk of heart attack and death. And a small controlled trial showed that men and women with mild cognitive impairment who increased their aerobic fitness also improved their performance on memory and reasoning tests.

Like resting heart rate, maximum heart rate also depends on multiple factors. As people age, the average maximum heart rate decreases. A commonly used formula to determine your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age in years.

If you are a person who exercises, you already know that your workouts regularly oscillate between 60 and 80% of your maximum capacity because maintaining higher levels for a long time affects the heart muscle.   Below you will find a table that shows you approximately these healthy percentages.

 

 

Age in years	Average maximum heart rate represented in beats per minute	Target heart rate interval in beats per minute
40	180	90 to 153
45	175	88 to 149
50	170	85 to 145
55	165	83 to 140
60	160	80 to 136
65	155	78  a 132
70	150	75 to 128

 

 

How to measure your resting heart rate

To measure your heart rate, simply take your pulse. Place your index and third fingers on your neck, next to your trachea. To take your pulse at your wrist, place two fingers between the bone and tendon above the radial artery, which is located on the thumb side of your wrist.

When you feel your pulse, count the number of beats in 15 seconds. Multiply this number by four to calculate your beats per minute.

The best time to take your resting heart rate is just after waking up in the morning, as any change in posture, activity, or even hydration level can affect the measurement.  Other factors that may influence the measurement are,

• Age
• Your fitness level
• Whether or not you are a smoker
• Cardiovascular conditions, cholesterol level or if you suffer from sugar problems
• Air temperature
• Emotional state (Stress, anxiety, depression…)
• Stature
• Hormones
• Possible medications you are taking

It is best to measure your heart rate several times during the week to see if any of the above factors are having an influence or not. 

 

Strategies to reduce or keep your resting heart rate low

Physical activity and exercise

Remember that your heart is a muscle and by training or practicing a demanding physical activity you are forcing it to become stronger.  Specifically, the exercises that are most suitable for this purpose are those that involve cardio-respiratory effort, such as walking, running, swimming or cycling.  When you apply the speed interval mode, that is, you do sprints of 30 seconds, one minute, etc., and  Then you recover for 1 or 2 minutes, for example, you allow the heart muscle to adapt and strengthen in a healthy and safe way.

Running, swimming and cycling are the most popular forms of exercise, but other possibilities such as rope jumping, hiking, rock climbing and dancing can also provide beneficial effects for your heart (and extra excitement).

Until now, it was believed that weight training was mainly good for strengthening muscles and the skeleton. It was especially recommended for older people to keep their bones strong and prevent falls and injuries. However, recent studies show that weight training also helps reduce the risk of diabetes, strokes and heart disease.

A 2019 study , for example, found that weight training was associated with a decrease in cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke, and increased longevity.

According to that study, which included almost 12,600 people and was followed for between 5.4 and 10.5 years, Performing resistance training for less than one hour per week was associated with an approximately 40% to 70% reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, independent of any aerobic exercise.

 

Consciously reducing stress and anxiety in your life

Stress and anxiety have become a common factor in modern life, but that doesn't mean it's normal, much less should it be left untreated.   Anxiety is often accompanied by its sidekicks stress and depression.

Anxiety disorders can disrupt the body's stress response, the combination of hormonal and physiological responses that helps all animals fight or flee from a real threat. People with anxiety disorders have inappropriate highs and lows that can lead to high blood pressure, heart rhythm disturbances or stroke.  A malfunctioning stress response promotes inflammation, which damages the lining of the arteries and sets the stage for the buildup of coronary plaque.

Breathing exercises or breath retention exercises, as well as cold showers in the context of the Wim Hof ​​method, can very successfully help to stabilize your heart rate and reduce stress and anxiety.

On the other hand, Yoga is an alternative that uses breathing, stretching exercises connecting the mind and muscles involved, inducing you to find calm and relaxation in each posture.

 

Avoid stimulant products such as tobacco, excess caffeine, alcohol, some supplements, etc.

A 2019 study points out  Dietary supplements are defined as vitamins, minerals or herbal products and are usually administered in the form of capsules or tablets. Non-smokers are more tempted to use dietary supplements than smokers.

Smoking is associated with a decrease in circulating folic acid levels. Cigarette smoke itself is an abundant source of free radicals that promote oxidative stress, by the direct delivery of radicals and their endogenous generation, as well as through the activation of inflammatory cells. It has been estimated that in a single puff of cigarette, the gaseous phase of the smoke exposes the smoker to a greater production of free radicals.  This oxidative stress acts as an important risk factor for the development of chronic diseases, such as atherosclerosis and carcinogenesis.

 

Feeding

Anything you eat affects your heart health.  A diet with high consumption of sugar, flour, fructose, linolenic acids and linoleic acid (present in Omega-6 polyunsaturated vegetable oils), will impose stress on cardiac function.

Furthermore, the cardiovascular system would benefit from the Omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon caught in the open sea, sardines or krill oil.

Dietary fiber is fiber that dissolves in water and is viscous and fermentable in texture. Insoluble fiber is different from soluble fiber because it does not dissolve in water and remains intact as it travels through the digestive system. 

Foods rich in soluble fiber include various vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. For example, psyllium husks, flax seeds, macadamia nuts, avocados, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cruciferous vegetables, asparagus, apples, apricots, pears and sweet potatoes, among others.

It is important to keep your body hydrated .  Fluid loss increases your heart rate, so be sure to consume enough water throughout the day.

Catechins refer to a bioactive compound present in tea leaves.   Recent scientific research indicates that the number of hydroxyl groups and the presence of characteristic structural groups have a major impact on the antioxidant activity of catechins. The best source of these compounds is unfermented green tea.

Catechins have the great property of neutralizing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The group of green tea catechin derivatives includes: epicatechin, epigallocatechin, epicatechin gallate and epigallocatechin gallate.

Studies have found that different types of catechins can improve the levels of serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein B, thereby reducing the deposition of fat in the blood. This study demonstrates the important preventive effects of catechins on cardiovascular disease.

 

Respect your sleeping hours

Adults who sleep less than 7 hours a night are more likely to say they have had health problems, such as heart attack, asthma, and depression. Some of these health problems increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. These problems include:  high blood pressure.

During normal sleep, blood pressure drops. Sleep problems cause blood pressure to remain high for longer. Hypertension is one of the main risks for heart disease and stroke.

 

To improve your sleep quality, try to adhere to the following habits:

• Maintain a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning, even on weekends.
• Get plenty of natural light, especially early in the day. Try to take a walk in the morning or at lunchtime.
• Get enough physical activity during the day. Try not to exercise a few hours before bedtime.
• Avoid artificial light, especially a few hours before bedtime. Use a blue light filter on your computer or smartphone.
• Do not eat or drink within a few hours of going to sleep; especially avoid alcohol and foods high in fat or sugar.
• Keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet.

 

Maintain a healthy body weight

Excess body weight is associated with cardiovascular events (CVD) and premature death.

This study published in the journal Nature points out the importance of that healthy overweight and obese people reduce their BMI (body mass index) to prevent DMT2 (type 2 diabetes mellitus) and HTA (high blood pressure) and thus increase the likelihood of remaining disease-free and avoiding premature death. Simultaneous reduction in the magnitude of all conventional risk factors is the key to successfully reducing the occurrence of CVD (cardiovascular disease).

Reducing excess body weight and lowering your resting heart rate can be achieved by using the same strategies mentioned above, such as exercising, staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, eating properly, and managing stress.  In conclusion, it is about these strategies becoming the habits that make up your lifestyle.