Exercise apps and devices often track your heart rate while you are exercising, but very few track your resting heart rate. Often dismissed, this rate can actually be very important to know about.
Your heart rate during a workout shows how hard your cardiovascular system is working, showing how much pressure you're putting on your body. However, a resting heart rate shows the number of time your heart beats per minute when you're resting. Your resting heart rate should ideally be between 60 and 80, but between 60 and 100 is considered to be fine. The lower your heart rate, the more efficient your heart is. Higher resting heart rates are more associated with strokes and heart attacks. So, even though a heart rate during exercise can provide useful insight, it's also important to know about your resting heart rate, and discuss with your doctor if you have extreme fluctuations or a very high one.
If you have a low resting heart rate, it usually shows that your cardiovascular system is very fit. By exercising regularly and intensely, especially through cardio routines, you will be able to lower your resting heart rate. While between 60 and 80 BPM for a resting heart rate is optimal, Olympic athletes have BPMs around 40. There is no need for it to be this low, but it shows that the more work you put into your exercise, the more ability you have to change your resting heart rate.
**This article is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions or concerns about your heart rate, please consult a qualified health professional.
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