Resting heart rate — the number of times your heart beats per minute when you’re sitting still — is an important vital sign.
Doctors measure it to check how your body is functioning, and the number can provide important clues to your health.
For most people, the resting heart rate is between 60 and 80 beats per minute, says Dr. Pamela Mason, a cardiologist at UVA Health.
“There’s a wide variety of what’s normal from person to person,” Mason previously told TODAY.com.
Resting heart rate can rise with anxiety, illness or strong emotions, she noted. It can be affected by age, excess weight and certain medications, according to National Library of Medicine.
A lower resting heart rate is a sign your heart is more efficient, she added.
Cardiologist Tip of the Day: Exercise to Ensure a Healthy Resting Heart Rate
Exercise is “super important” when it comes to having a lower resting heart rate, Mason said.
Very athletic people can have a resting heart rate in the 40s or 50s per minute.
But even in modest amounts, exercise is associated with better cardiovascular health, including a lower resting heart rate.
Why It Matters
Heart rate, also commonly called a pulse, “provides a ‘barometer’ for the needs of the body,” researchers note.
If the heart muscle is in good condition, it doesn’t need to work as hard to deliver blood to the body, according to the American Heart Association.
A lower resting heart rate — in the 50s or 60s per minute — usually means a person is pretty fit, Dr. Jennifer Haythe, a cardiologist at Columbia Women’s Heart Center in New York, previously told TODAY.
When you exercise, heart rate goes up and should come down pretty fast, she added. “We don’t want to see it taking a long time, where your heart rate is staying up in the 120 range,” Haythe said.
How to Get Started
Keep track of your resting heart rate.
It can be done with a smartwatch or a fitness tracker. Or you can measure it yourself by placing the tips of your index and middle finger on the inside of your wrist or the side of your neck and counting the number of beats for a minute.
Move your body to lower your resting heart rate. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of “heart-pumping” physical activity per week for adults, including brisk walking.
The Start TODAY app can help you make regular aerobic exercise a habit with indoor walking routines, HIIT workouts and guided audio podcasts that will motivate you get your steps in.
TODAY’s Expert Tip of the Day series is all about simple strategies to make life a little easier. Every Monday through Friday, different qualified experts share their best advice on diet, fitness, heart health, mental wellness and more.
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