For most adults, a normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). But if you're toward the top end of this range, or above it, you'll want to lower it. Show It is possible to have a heart rate that's too low, but generally, the lower your resting heart rate, the healthier you are. In fact, well-trained athletes and highly-active adults are often in the 40 to 50 bpm range. If your resting heart rate is too high, here are some of the best strategies to lower it over time, as well as tips to calm it down in the moment. How to lower your heart rate over timeKristin Dean, MD, a board-certified physician at Doctor On Demand, says when your heart beats fewer times each minute, it is more efficient and doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood through the body. "Studies have shown that a lower overall workload for your heart is a good thing for heart health long-term," Dean says. "Higher heart rates may be associated with an increased risk of heart attacks or strokes, as seen in the Copenhagen Male Study." Additionally, a higher resting heart rate has been associated with increased risk of diabetes and heart disease leading to death, says Maheer Gandhavadi, MD, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology with Dignity Health Mercy Medical Group. You can lower your resting heart rate by making a few lifestyle changes. Dean says some of the best ways include:
How to lower your heart rate in the momentAnxiety and stress can also cause an increased heart rate, both over time and in the moment. According to Harvard Medical School, generalized anxiety disorder may lead to higher rates of heart attacks and cardiac injuries. There are a few common strategies that can help manage anxiety over time and lower your heart rate to a normal resting number in the moment. Dean and Gandhavadi suggest:
If anxiety and stress is a regular part of your life, you should also minimize your use of caffeine and potentially meet with a therapist to find the strategies that work for you to manage stress. If you have a consistently elevated resting heart rate, a doctor's visit is necessary. Together, you can create a personalized plan for improving your cardiac health. Related stories about heart health:
Mary Sauer is a freelance writer for Insider. Read more Read less What’s a healthy heart rate? There are lots of ways to lower your heart rate, and many good reasons to do so. For adults, a resting heart rate should fall between 60 and 100 beats per minute, though what’s considered normal varies from person to person and throughout the day. An above-normal heart rate can cause a host of problems, including:
According to certified personal trainer Marianna Johnson, MSW, a good time to check your heart rate is right after you wake up, while you’re still in bed. Johnson, owner of Mind Body Health & Fitness in Falls Church, Virginia, says a midday reading is also fine if taken after a few minutes of rest. To take your heart rate, place your index and middle finger on your wrist or the side of your neck to locate your pulse. Count the number of beats in a minute. If your heart rate has seemingly spiked without cause, there are a few things you can do to bring it back down to a normal level:
Other approaches can be effective in lowering your heart rate in the short term and over time. Practicing mindfulness can help lower your heart rate in the moment, as well as lower your overall resting heart rate. After a 12-week mindfulness course, participants in one study had lower heart rates overall and were able to physically cover more distance during a standard six-minute walk test. If you’re familiar with yoga, practicing a few poses may also help lower your heart rate. Research also suggests that practitioners of yoga can develop the ability to voluntarily lower their heart rate. Learn more: What’s your ideal heart rate? » In the long term, the best way to lower your heart rate is by following a program that includes exercise, a healthy diet, limited caffeine and alcohol, and good sleep, suggests Johnson. The exercise component can involve either extended low-intensity sessions or interval training that mixes high- and low-effort episodes, she says. How does exercise affect heart rate?It’s important to get your heart rate up while exercising. This strengthens your heart. “The stronger your heart is, the more efficiently it’s pumping blood,” Johnson says. And if your heart’s pumping efficiently, it doesn’t need to beat as quickly when at rest. The key metric when exercising is identifying your maximum heart rate, usually defined as 220 minus your age. The American Heart Association uses this number to define target heart rate ranges for moderate, intense, and maximum intensity during a workout. “It’s old school,” concedes Johnson. But it remains the best way to create an exercise program tailored for your specific fitness level and goals. A second key metric in assessing your heart rate is how fast it returns to normal after vigorous exercise. A prompt recovery to your pre-exercise heart rate is generally linked to numerous health benefits, including lower risk of death. As we age, it takes the heart longer to return to a normal heart rate. This is true even for healthy people. In one large study, researchers analyzed the exercise recovery patterns and risk of death of about 2,500 people who had no existing cardiac conditions. The participants exercised to exhaustion, and researchers measured their heart rates after one minute of rest. The recovery was considered normal if the heart rate dropped more than 12 beats per minute between the moment of peak exercise and the end of the rest period. Otherwise, the recovery was labeled abnormal. After six years, the risk of death for people with an abnormal recovery was about four times that of those with a normal heart rate recovery. The risk of death decreased with better heart rate recovery scores. The health benefits associated with vigorous exercise maxed out at a drop of about 15 to 20 beats per minute. Check out: A list of 14 types of cardio exercises to get you moving » Foods that lower heart rateDiet also seems to have an effect on your heart rate. A cross-sectional analysis of about 10,000 European men without heart disease showed that eating fish was associated with a decreased heart rate. Fish consumption was still an important factor in lowering heart rate when the study adjusted for age, physical activity, smoking, and several other factors. Most instances of a sudden spike in heart rate come from faster-than-normal impulses from the sinus node, the heart’s natural pacemaker. This situation is called sinus tachycardia. In this case, the heartbeat is fast, but normal. The American Heart Association notes that sinus tachycardia can arise from several different conditions, including:
It results less commonly from:
Doctors address sinus tachycardia by going after the cause. For example, they may prescribe psychological care for anxiety and other types of emotional distress. Physiological conditions such as anemia or thyroid problems will require medical treatment. In some cases, it’s impossible to link sinus tachycardia back to a source. This type of so-called “inappropriate” sinus tachycardia is a difficult condition to treat. In the long run, it can cause significant medical problems. In other cases of elevated heart rates, the rhythm is both fast and irregular. These conditions are potentially serious and should be evaluated by your doctor. If tachycardia is left untreated, your risk of complication increases. Complications vary according to the rate and duration of your increased heart rate, as well as the presence of any other medical conditions. Possible complications include:
In rare cases, sudden death is possible. This is typically only associated with ventricular tachycardia. Ventricular tachycardia is when the ventricles (lower part) of your heart beat faster than normal. This can lead to more severe dysrhythmias, preventing your heart from pumping blood efficiently to the body and brain. An elevated heart rate can signal a serious medical condition or be a concern in its own right. If your doctor’s ruled out any underlying condition for a rapid heart rate, then exercise, yoga, and numerous other strategies can help lower your heart rate in both the moment and over the long run. Keep reading: Target heart rate in pregnancy » |
How to slow your heart beat down
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