We all want to live long healthy lives.

 

But are you just crossing your fingers and hoping it works out?  Or are you taking action on the things that matter, now?

 

That may seem harsh.  But all too often we hear platitudes of longevity without any regard to things that really matter.  Let me be clear, your cardiorespiratory health and fitness matters.

 

And we have some simple tools at our disposal to evaluate how we are doing including heart rate.

 

A recent study of a cohort of almost 700,000 Norweigan and Taiwanese people followed for about 25 years showed that elevated resting heart rate in those 20-50 years of age served as a better predictor of all-cause mortality than hypertension.

 

That’s a huge data set.  And somewhat of a controversial finding, as when is the last time your doctor measured your resting heart rate?  Conversely, they likely have a good grasp on your blood pressure.

 

Blood pressure still matters.  But if you’re in your 20’s-50’s your resting heart rate is a better predictor of your long term health and therefore addressing it deserves greater emphasis.

 

How do I measure resting heart rate?

 

Measure it first thing in the morning, before getting out of bed, by using your fingers to take a pulse on either your wrist or neck, or use the measure from your fitness tracker.

 

What is a “normal” resting heart rate?

 

Resting heart rate is a measure of how efficiently your heart works at rest. A lower resting heart rate between 50-70 beats per minute is common in healthy or fit individuals and indicates a strong, efficient heart that doesn’t need to work as hard to pump blood.

 

If your resting heart rate is consistently above 80 beats per minute, that is considered high (by researchers in the above study).  This is a signal of increased strain on the cardiovascular system, which can contribute to conditions like hypertension, heart failure, or atherosclerosis over time.  High resting heart rate may also reflect underlying issues like chronic stress, poor fitness, inflammation, or metabolic dysfunction, all of which can shorten lifespan.

 

Conversely a heart rate below 40 beats per minute could signal a health condition called bradycardia, so if you are not an exceptionally well trained endurance athlete and have a very low resting heart rate, it may warrant further evaluation.

 

Is lower better when it comes to resting heart rate?

 

In short, when it is achieved with a healthy lifestyle, yes.

 

However, observational data like the research reported above can’t infer causation.  It’s the same old story, until we have randomized intervention based trials that test a lowering heart rate intervention plan over a long period of time, we won’t know for sure.

 

But that research simply is costly, burdensome and likely won’t happen in large enough populations to get high quality data.

 

However: the signal looks strong.  And when you combine this with other important measures of cardiorespiratory fitness such as VO2 Max, you have valuable targets to prevent cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.

 

How can I lower my resting heart rate?

 

Exercise consistently.  Both longer duration, steady state cardiovascular training and interval training can help.

 

Manage stress.  Easier said than done, but chronic stress elevates heart rate through cortisol and adrenaline.  Meditation may be one option here, as it can lower RHR in the moment and over the long haul when practiced regularly.

 

Stay hydrated and well rested.  Both dehydration and poor sleep are a problem for increasing RHR.  Aim for 8 cups of water and approximately 8 hours of sleep a night.

 

Maintain a healthy body weight.  Quite simply carrying around excess weight adds strain to your heart.

 

Limit stimulants.  Be careful of consistent use of stimulants (ie caffeine, nicotine and some medications) especially before bed.

 

And like many other aspects of your health, if you are trying to make a lasting change, don’t expect instant results.  6-12 weeks, minimum.  Put the healthy habits in place, and keep an eye on it regularly, but don’t obsess over it daily.