Measuring Your Normal Heart Rate at Rest: Insights and Recommendations
Fascinating Insights About Resting Heart Rate (RHR)
Get curious about your heart health with these intriguing tidbits related to your RHR!
RHR Basics for Everybody
Just as you might expect, most medical professionals deem a RHR between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm) as normal[1][2][4]. However, it's important to remember that these numbers often stem from measurements taken in healthcare settings. People in these contexts might be a tad more nervous or active than when lounging at home, which can temporarily increase heart rate[6].
Your RHR can drop when you're using popular wearable devices, like smartwatches or health rings, because they can capture measurements during sleeping hours[7]. For instance, Oura users tend to averages between 50 and 60 bpm, while Whoop users report 59 bpm for women and 55 bpm for men[7]. Keep in mind, health enthusiasts or athletes make up the majority of these device users, which might account for their below-average heart rates.
A Nervous System: Heart Rate and Stress
If you're wondering about what your higher-than-usual RHR means, consider if you're dealing with stress. Mental or physical stress can trigger your heart to beat faster[8]. This could be caused by exhaustion from intensive workouts or simply feeling overwhelmed by everyday life.
Other possible reasons for a temporarily elevated RHR include approaching your menstrual cycle's follicular phase, coming down with an illness, or taking certain medications that impact your heart rate[8]. Also, disruptions to your sleep pattern, like drinking alcohol or staying up late, might cause a higher RHR reading when captured during sleep[6].
Keep an Eye on Your RHR
I find RHR and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as valuable indicators of my body's stress levels and recovery state[6]. Tracking these numbers is simple with wearable devices. Just ensure that your RHR isn't consistently high for weeks, as this might signal health concerns that warrant medical attention[6].
RHR: Not a Competitive Game
While it's appealing to wish for a "good" RHR, it's not helpful to view RHR as a competition. People come in all shapes and sizes, and so do resting heart rates. In fact, smaller people often have slightly higher RHR[1]. Women, on average, also have higher RHR than men, even without taking fitness and health factors into account[1].
When comparing RHR between different devices, keep in mind that there may be discrepancies – like the Fitbit giving RHR numbers that are 10 bpm higher than Oura's readings[7]. Focus on long- and short-term trends instead, and use changes in your RHR as an opportunity to evaluate your overall health, stress, fatigue, and sleep quality[6].
Ultimately, if you harbor concerns about your heart rate being unusually low or high, seek guidance from a medical professional[6].
A Snapshot of Healthy Heart Rates
| Category | Heart Rate (bpm) ||------------------|---------------------------------------|| Typical Adults | 60 to 100 || Optimal Adults | 60 to 85 || Athletes | 37 to 38 || Health-Conscious | 60 to 80 |
This chart illustrates the importance of individual factors in determining a healthy RHR. Remember, even athletes and health enthusiasts aim for RHR that's within healthy ranges, not necessarily as low as possible!
- Medical professionals often consider a resting heart rate (RHR) between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm) as normal, but it might be lower for users of smartwatches or health rings, like Oura users who average between 50 and 60 bpm.
- A higher-than-usual RHR could be indicative of stress, either mental or physical, which can trigger the heart to beat faster.
- Other factors affecting a temporarily elevated RHR include approaching the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, illness, certain medications, or disruptions to sleep patterns.
- Tracking RHR and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) can provide insights into body stress levels and recovery state, but it's essential to not view RHR as a competition, as smaller people often have slightly higher RHR, and women, on average, have higher RHR than men.
- Understanding the importance of individual factors in determining a healthy RHR, it's crucial to focus on long-term trends instead of comparing RHR between different devices, and seek guidance from a medical professional if there are concerns about an unusually low or high RHR.
