How to Slow Down Your Resting Heart Rate

Heart rate or pulse refers to the number of heartbeats per minute and is an indicator of how hard the heart is working to circulate blood throughout the body. The resting heart rate is the lowest rate at which your heart beats when the body is almost at complete rest. Knowing your resting heart rate can give insight into your overall health and help you set a target heart rate. A slower resting heart rate can significantly reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Find your current resting heart rate. Before working on slowing down your heart rate, it's essential to know your starting point. To do this, simply check your pulse by feeling the carotid artery in your neck or at your wrist.

• Remember to rest and relax before starting.
• The best time to check your pulse is in the morning before getting out of bed.

Check your pulse. To check your pulse at the carotid artery, gently place your index and middle fingers on one side of your neck, near the windpipe. Apply light pressure until you feel the pulse. For the most accurate reading, count the beats for 60 seconds.

• Alternatively, you can count for 10 seconds and multiply by six, or count for 15 seconds and multiply by four.
• To check the pulse at your wrist, lay your palm face up.
• Place your index, middle, and ring fingers of your other hand beneath the base of your thumb until you feel the pulse.

Evaluate your resting heart rate. After finding your heart rate, locate it on the heart rate scale to assess your health. A normal resting heart rate should fall between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm). However, a rate above 90 bpm may be considered high.

• If your heart rate is under 60 bpm and you experience symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath, and tunnel vision, you should consult a doctor for a health evaluation.
• Athletes with good endurance typically have a resting heart rate between 40 and 60 bpm, but they do not experience symptoms like dizziness.
• Measure your heart rate over several days and calculate the average.

Know when to visit a doctor. Having a fast resting heart rate is not immediately dangerous, but over time it can lead to health problems. In such cases, you should gradually reduce your heart rate by exercising. However, if you have an unusually slow pulse or frequent episodes of inexplicable rapid heartbeats, especially when accompanied by dizziness, you should see a doctor.

• If your elevated heart rate is accompanied by other symptoms, you should also consult with a doctor.
• Before visiting the hospital, consider other causes for a high heart rate, such as consuming coffee.
• Also, inform your doctor if you're taking any other medications that could affect your heart rate, such as beta blockers.

Start with regular exercise. The safest way to reduce your heart rate is by incorporating heart-raising exercises into your daily routine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends engaging in moderate-intensity activities that increase your heart rate for 150 minutes each week for healthy adults, along with muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days a week. When doing muscle-strengthening exercises, focus on all major muscle groups such as the calves, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms.

• For a healthy heart, aim for 40-minute exercise sessions at moderate to high intensity, three or four times a week.
• Include stretching and flexibility exercises, such as yoga, in your routine.
• Try to incorporate muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week during your workout sessions.

Determine your maximum heart rate. To achieve your desired resting heart rate, you must adjust your workout intensity to reach the target heart rate during exercise. This allows you to track the intensity of your workout and understand how hard your heart is working, gradually increasing as your body gets stronger. Therefore, you need to determine your maximum heart rate. While all methods are relatively safe, they provide a general estimate.

• A simple way is to subtract your age from 220.
• For example, if you're 30 years old, your maximum heart rate is approximately 190 beats per minute.
• This method tends to be more accurate for individuals under 40 years old.
• Recently, a more complex method involves multiplying your age by 0.7, then subtracting the result from 208.
• For example, a 40-year-old would have a maximum heart rate of 180 (208 - 0.7 x 40).

Determine your desired heart rate zone. Once you have an estimate of your maximum heart rate, you can identify your desired heart rate zone for training. Exercising within this zone allows you to monitor your heart's effort level more accurately and tailor your workouts accordingly.

• A general rule is that moderate-intensity exercise should elevate your heart rate to about 50-69% of your maximum rate. When starting, it's advisable to keep your heart rate in the lower end of this range.
• Strenuous activity will bring your heart rate up to 70-85% of the maximum. If you're new to exercising, it may take around six months to safely reach this level.

Monitor your heart rate during exercise. You can check your heart rate during exercise by taking your pulse either at your wrist or neck. Count for 15 seconds and multiply by four. Keep your heart rate between 50% and 85% of your maximum. If it's lower, you need to increase your workout intensity.

• Additionally, if you're new to exercising, start slow and gradually build up intensity. This way, you'll still benefit without risking injury or feeling burnt out.
• Remember to stop and check your pulse during your workout.

Combine exercise and a healthy diet. Being overweight forces your heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body. If you're carrying excess weight, combining regular exercise with a healthy diet will help you lose weight and reduce strain on your heart, ultimately lowering your resting heart rate.

Avoid Smoking. In addition to the various harm caused by smoking, smokers often experience a higher heart rate than non-smokers. Reducing or, ideally, quitting smoking can help slow the heart rate and improve overall heart health.

• The nicotine in cigarettes causes blood vessels to constrict, damaging the heart and vascular system. Quitting smoking can significantly improve blood pressure, circulation, and general health, while also reducing the risk of cancer and respiratory issues.

Reduce Caffeine Intake. It is well known that caffeine-containing products like coffee and tea can raise heart rates. If you feel your resting heart rate is elevated, it may be beneficial to cut back on caffeine.

• Drinking more than two cups of coffee daily can contribute to side effects, one of which is an increased heart rate.
• Decaffeinated drinks can help reduce caffeine absorption.

Avoid Alcohol Consumption. Alcohol has been linked to increased heart rates and can affect your average heart rate. It’s advisable to reduce alcohol consumption to help lower your resting heart rate.

Reduce Stress. Reducing exposure to stress-inducing factors may not be easy, but it helps lower your resting heart rate over time. Excessive stress can negatively impact your health, so engaging in stress-relief activities such as meditation or tai chi is recommended. Try to spend some time each day to relax and practice deep breathing.

• Since everyone is different, it’s important to find an activity that helps you manage stress effectively.
• This could be listening to calming music or simply lying down and relaxing in a bath.