A Bite-Size Read for Your Health and Your Waistline
Most often, we think of cardiovascular health in terms of cholesterol numbers, yet there are other important numbers that matter just as much for your heart. The best part is that you can check these right now. No appointment or blood work needed!
We are lucky that our hearts beat without us having to direct them, yet it is still worth paying attention to what they may be telling us. Do you know your resting heart rate? If not, now is the perfect time to learn. Your pulse gives you clues about heart function, mortality risk, and even how well certain treatments or habits are supporting a healthy lifestyle. A shift in your resting heart rate can be a signal that something else is going on in your overall health and fitness picture.
Most of us know that heart rates are measured by pulse. Your pulse is the number of times your heart pumps in a minute. What makes this so interesting is that heart rate changes based on your activity and your surroundings. Exercise, rest, age, overall cardiovascular health, excitement, nervousness, surprise, or even pure terror can influence the number you see. As a general reference point, most adults fall between 60 and 100 BPM during the day while awake, and the number is usually lower during sleep.
If you have ever watched a medical drama like Chicago MD, Grey’s Anatomy, or New Amsterdam, then you have probably heard the terms tachycardia and bradycardia. Tachycardia means the heart rate is above 100 BPM. Bradycardia means it is below 60 BPM. With bradycardia, remember that runners and other well-trained athletes may naturally sit under 60 BPM. The important part is knowing what is normal for you, so you can notice if your heart rate becomes unusual for your baseline.
When you work out, your heart naturally speeds up. So, what should your target heart rate be during moderate intensity activity? The goal is to work hard enough to use the heart as a muscle and support long-term fitness while not pushing to the point of creating problems. If you are open to a little math, your general range is between 220 minus your age multiplied by .76 and 220 minus your age multiplied by .64. This general guideline is helpful, yet factors like conditioning level, medications, muscle mass, and body fat percentage also influence what makes sense for you. Think of the target heart rate as a guide rather than a rigid rule.
Another important number that often gets overlooked is heart rate recovery (HRR), which gives a big window into cardiovascular health. You can check this at home by noting your peak heart rate during exercise, either at the hardest point or right at the end as you begin to cool down. Then look at your heart rate one minute later. Subtract the second number from the first. The difference in beats per minute is your heart rate recovery. A recovery of about 18 beats or more is generally a good sign, though it varies from person to person. Heart rate recovery can reflect your overall health. A low recovery number can point to concerns such as coronary artery disease, autonomic nervous system issues, diabetes, heart failure, hypertension, and others.
In general, when it comes to heart rate, you always want to loop in your healthcare providers if something seems off. The biggest priority is knowing your normal and watching for readings that are consistently outside your usual range, whether higher or lower. Reach out for care if your heartbeat skips, feels irregular (not to be confused with variability, which is a good thing), or gives you palpitations. Also, pay attention if your pulse feels more like a vibration than a distinct bump.
The best part of all this is how useful your heart rate can be. It is one of the simplest tools to check in on your own health and makes it easier for healthcare teams to spot concerns early. If you use an Apple Watch, Whoop, or Fitbit, these numbers are probably right there waiting for you. If you’re up for it, check right now! Comment below with your resting heart rate (RHR), and if you know them, your heart rate recovery and heart rate variability (HRV). Ready, set, go!