GOQii

Blog

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

April 5, 2021 By Farhat Khan 2 Comments

What is Resting Heart Rate & How Can You Improve It?

Resting Heart Rate

If you want to know more about heart health, your Resting Heart Rate can tell you a lot! As we all know, our heart is responsible for providing blood and oxygen to each and every organ in the body and if there is any trouble in the heart, automatically the rest of the body will be impacted too.

What is Resting Heart Rate?

Resting heart rate (RHR) is known as your base or lowest heart rate. It can be defined as the number of times your heart beats per minute while you’re resting or not active. The normal resting heart rate reading should be in between 60 to 100 beats per minute (BPM). The term use for a heart rate below 60 bpm is called Bradycardia while a heart rate above 100 bpm is called Tachycardia. Usually, children tend to have a higher heart rate than adults. It is because of their faster metabolism. For a newborn, resting heart rate around 100 to 150 bpm is considered normal.

How Can You Measure It? 

Measuring heart rate is the same as checking your pulse. Currently, there are different ways to measure it – you can even measure it using your fitness tracker or band. You can also use the ancient method wherein, you place your index and middle finger on your wrist just below the thumb, or along either side of your neck, so you can feel your pulse. Remember not to use your thumb to take this measurement as it has its own pulse so you might not get the accurate measurement. Use a watch to count the number of beats for 30 seconds and double it so you will get the reading for per minute. Repeat it twice or thrice to make sure you get the accurate measurements. 

To get the proper readings, it is advised to check your resting heart rate as soon as you wake up before carrying out any other work or activity. 

Factors That Affect RHR 

Daily activities such as walking or drinking a cup of coffee, medications, hormones, body size, stress and activity level can change your resting heart rate. Some major factors include: 

  • Age
  • Lack of sleep
  • Dehydration
  • Stress
  • Obesity
  • Health conditions, lung disease and diabetes
  • Some medications like Beta blockers & calcium channels
  • Temperature
  • Exercise

Generally, lower heart rates are considered better as it shows your heart is working well with no extra effort. On the other side, a higher resting heart rate shows your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood.

Ways to Improve or Lower Heart Rate

  1. One of the reasons for increased RHR as one ages, is the lack of or less physical activity. As aging is a natural process, we can improve its impact on heart health by adding 30 minutes of walking or any other low impact exercise like cycling, swimming and dancing. Of course, your heart will beat fast during the activity and for a short time after that, but practicing it every day will automatically help in reducing your elevated resting heart rate.
  2. Guided breathing practices, yoga, tai chi, meditation, long walks and reading are all great ways to calm your mind and body, which will help in controlling your heart rate.
  3. Always try to get at least seven hours of sleep every night so your body gets sufficient time to recover from stress.
  4. Keeping yourself well hydrated helps blood flow through the body and makes the functioning of the heart easy as well. 
  5. Those who smoke have a higher RHR. Quitting brings it back down. 
  6. Keep a watch on body weight. The larger the body, the more the heart has to work to supply it with blood. Losing body weight helps in lowering elevated RHR.

It’s important to maintain an active lifestyle with regular aerobic exercise, a balanced diet, quality sleep and hydration. By measuring your resting heart rate regularly, you can see both your long-term progress and daily fluctuations in it. When your resting heart rate decreases as a result of training, it’s a sign that your cardiovascular health is improving.

We hope this article helps you make heart-healthy choices! Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below. For more on heart health, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

#BeTheForce 

Search

Recent Posts

  • Can Okra Control Blood Sugar Naturally?
  • Quick Indoor Workout To Keep You Active!
  • Rice and Pasta Substitutes For A Healthier You!
  • Light and White Skin Patches? All You Need to Know About Vitiligo!
  • Healthy Eating: Oats Sprouts and Vegetable Uttapam

Stay Updated

Archives

  • June 2022 (28)
  • May 2022 (31)
  • April 2022 (30)
  • March 2022 (31)
  • February 2022 (28)
  • January 2022 (31)
  • December 2021 (31)
  • November 2021 (29)
  • October 2021 (29)
  • September 2021 (24)
  • August 2021 (28)
  • July 2021 (24)
  • June 2021 (26)
  • May 2021 (18)
  • April 2021 (21)
  • March 2021 (23)
  • February 2021 (18)
  • January 2021 (13)
  • December 2020 (11)
  • November 2020 (7)
  • October 2020 (13)
  • September 2020 (12)
  • August 2020 (13)
  • July 2020 (11)
  • June 2020 (11)
  • May 2020 (13)
  • April 2020 (16)
  • March 2020 (15)
  • February 2020 (9)
  • January 2020 (8)
  • December 2019 (9)
  • November 2019 (12)
  • October 2019 (13)
  • September 2019 (10)
  • August 2019 (13)
  • July 2019 (17)
  • June 2019 (14)
  • May 2019 (15)
  • April 2019 (17)
  • March 2019 (17)
  • February 2019 (20)
  • January 2019 (22)
  • December 2018 (13)
  • November 2018 (10)
  • October 2018 (12)
  • September 2018 (13)
  • August 2018 (23)
  • July 2018 (15)
  • June 2018 (23)
  • May 2018 (16)
  • April 2018 (24)
  • March 2018 (18)
  • February 2018 (14)
  • January 2018 (20)
  • December 2017 (14)
  • November 2017 (28)
  • October 2017 (21)
  • September 2017 (22)
  • August 2017 (9)
  • July 2017 (11)
  • June 2017 (13)
  • May 2017 (14)
  • April 2017 (9)
  • March 2017 (6)
  • February 2017 (7)
  • January 2017 (11)
  • December 2016 (10)
  • November 2016 (8)
  • October 2016 (9)
  • September 2016 (7)
  • August 2016 (12)
  • July 2016 (11)
  • June 2016 (10)
  • May 2016 (12)
  • April 2016 (17)
  • March 2016 (18)
  • February 2016 (8)
  • January 2016 (7)
  • December 2015 (5)
  • November 2015 (10)
  • October 2015 (8)
  • September 2015 (10)
  • August 2015 (14)
  • July 2015 (11)
  • June 2015 (14)
  • May 2015 (9)
  • April 2015 (13)
  • March 2015 (10)
  • February 2015 (6)
  • January 2015 (12)
  • December 2014 (14)
  • November 2014 (11)
  • October 2014 (6)
  • September 2014 (14)
  • August 2014 (14)
  • July 2014 (7)
  • June 2014 (3)
  • May 2014 (8)
  • April 2014 (5)
Devesh Srivastava

Devesh Srivastava Lowers His HbA1c from 6.7 to 5.8 With GOQii

Have you ever suffered from a cold or fever and thought to yourself that you can manage this? In fact, there’s a good chance that with some medication and rest, the symptoms of a cold or fever have subsided. But, when you deal with issues such as Diabetes and … [Read More...]

Achal Agarwal

Achal Agarwal Loses 37kg, Reverses Lifestyle Diseases & Gets Healthier With GOQii

When we think of weight loss, the first thing that comes to mind is to eat less and exercise. Theoretically, this is the right way to go about it. But, this is not as easy as it sounds. It requires a great level of determination and willpower. However, once the decision to succeed is made, […]

Ruta Pandya

How Ruta Pandya Managed Ulcerous Colitis & Arthritis With Lifestyle Changes

We’ve always spoken about how you can manage lifestyle diseases with minor tweaks to your habits. But sometimes, it isn’t enough. Especially when one condition leads to another. Our player Ruta Pandya suffered from a condition called Ulcerous Colitis and a series of other medical issues which she battled for years. After fighting an uphill […]

Suneeta Mane

Suneeta Mane Goes From Stagnant To Unstoppable!

Health conditions arising out of lifestyle or hormonal imbalances can seem like a death sentence. These health conditions not only affect your wellbeing but also your mental health and it can seem like a bottomless hole you can’t crawl out of. But that’s not true. If you are determined, you can not only crawl out […]

  • HOME
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • FITNESS
  • HEALTHY RECIPES
  • USER STORIES
  • KARMA
  • BUY GOQii

Copyright ©2016 GOQii