Some indicators of fitness, such as athletic ability, strength, and endurance, may be difficult to determine immediately, but others are easier to determine. For example, your resting heart rate is easy to check and tells a lot about how you're feeling.
"One of the first signs that gives the doctor a sense of general health is the heart rate," says Dr. Doris Chan, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn. "It puts us in the right direction if further testing is needed."
Many people do not understand the importance of resting heart rate, what it means and why it changes. Your knowledge can help identify health problems and assess your heart health.
What is your resting heart rate?
This is the number of beats per minute at rest.
As a control, the pulse should be measured in the absence of stressful or exciting events and at least one hour after the stress.
The American Heart Association says it's best to check your resting heart rate in the morning while you're still in bed for a more accurate reading.
An increased heart rate can be a sign of "stress, anxiety, dehydration, a medical condition or physical activity," says Dr. Barbara Olingzki, Assistant Professor of Population Sciences and Health Procedures at UMass Chan College of Medicine.
However, "it's normal to increase your heart rate through exercise," he says.
Certain medical conditions can cause a fast heart rate. For example, "blood loss causes your blood pressure to drop and your heart rate to increase a bit to compensate," says Vit Lo, MD, associate professor of preventive cardiology at Intermountain Health.
Caffeine consumption, illness, medications, and electrolyte imbalances can also temporarily affect your resting heart rate.
What is a healthy resting heart rate?
According to Chan, the generally accepted range for a healthy resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, "although some advocate a resting heart rate of 50 beats per minute."
That is, in general, the lower the resting heart rate, the more efficiently the heart works, at least up to a point. Athletes often try to lower their heart rate. Some endurance athletes aim for a resting heart rate of 40 seconds.
There are some exceptions to the 60 to 100 hit rule. Normal heart rate varies from person to person.
Many external factors can affect resting heart rate temporarily, but some external factors can affect it over a longer period of time. For example, hyperthyroidism, anemia, rare kidney tumors, unhealthy organs, pregnancy, abnormal heart rhythms, and old age can affect your resting heart rate over time.
How to check your pulse
It's very easy to check your heart rate. Simply place your index finger and ring finger on your throat near your trachea and count your pulse for 15 seconds from the first time you feel a pulse. Multiply that number by four to calculate the number of beats per minute.
To check the pulse at the wrist, place two fingers above the radial artery between the bones and tendons on the thumb side of the wrist, then count the pulse in the same manner.
What makes resting heart rate unsafe?
A resting heart rate of less than 60 is called bradycardia or slow heart rate, and a resting heart rate of over 100 is called tachycardia or fast heart rate. Experts say you should be careful not to stay too low or too high for too long for no apparent reason.
"If the heart rate is prolonged and persistent, professional help should be sought because it can cause symptoms such as palpitations, heart failure, shortness of breath, lightheadedness or dizziness, excessive fatigue, and chest tightness or pressure," says Lee.
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