A resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute while you're at rest. It's a measure of how well your heart is working and how fit you are. The average resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute, but it can vary from person to person. If your resting heart rate is above 100 beats per minute, you may be at increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and other health problems. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to lower your resting heart rate and improve your overall health.
One of the best ways to lower your resting heart rate is to get regular exercise. Exercise helps to strengthen your heart and lungs, which makes them more efficient at pumping blood and oxygen throughout your body. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
In addition to exercise, there are a number of other things you can do to lower your resting heart rate, including eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and managing stress.
How to Lower Resting Heart Rate
Here are 8 important points to help you lower your resting heart rate:
- Get regular exercise
- Eat a healthy diet
- Get enough sleep
- Manage stress
- Lose weight (if needed)
- Quit smoking
- Limit alcohol consumption
- Medications (if necessary)
By following these tips, you can lower your resting heart rate and improve your overall health.
Get regular exercise
One of the best ways to lower your resting heart rate is to get regular exercise. Exercise helps to strengthen your heart and lungs, which makes them more efficient at pumping blood and oxygen throughout your body. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
Moderate-intensity exercise is any activity that gets your heart rate up but doesn't leave you breathless. Some examples include brisk walking, swimming, biking, and dancing. If you're new to exercise, start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts over time.
In addition to moderate-intensity exercise, you can also do high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to lower your resting heart rate. HIIT workouts involve alternating between short bursts of intense exercise and brief periods of rest. HIIT workouts are very effective at burning calories and improving cardiovascular health.
No matter what type of exercise you choose, make sure to warm up before your workout and cool down afterwards. Warming up helps to prepare your body for exercise and cooling down helps to prevent muscle soreness.
By getting regular exercise, you can lower your resting heart rate, improve your overall health, and reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.