Resting Heart Rate

In last month’s blog post, we talked about goal-setting and how important it is to choose the right goals for your health and/or weight loss journey. In short – it’s important to look deeply to discover what you really want (instead of choosing something more superficial as a proxy goal). For example, if a pants size or a number on the scale is your goal simply because it’s a proxy for some deeper-set, truer-to-you goal, you may find yourself quickly losing motivation after an initial burst of commitment.

We got lots of positive feedback from this blog post, but also a few questions – such as, what are some examples of deep, authentic goals that can help keep me sustainably on my journey?

While we shared some quick examples in last month’s post (e.g. being able to hike Macchu Pichu, having more stamina while playing with kids/grandkids, improving health), I wanted to share another example that hits home for many patients.

It’s improving your resting heart rate (RHR).

Your resting heart rate, according to scientists and doctors, can reflect your current and future health. It can help identify potential health problems, as well as gauge your current heart health (when taken in context with a number of other markers). Even better – it’s easy to measure, and is responsive to sustainable actions you take to improve your health.

Studies have shown that a high resting heart rate is correlated with lower physical fitness, higher blood pressure, higher weight and higher levels of circulating blood fats. Further, an elevated resting heart rate has been shown to be a risk factor for mortality.

In contrast, a lower resting heart rate (in many cases) indicates higher levels of physical fitness, and reduced rates of cardiac events like heart attacks. There are some exceptions to this, especially if a low RHR is associated with dizziness or fatigue, so be sure to check with your provider to set the right RHR target for you.

We love using RHR as one measurement of progress throughout your health and weight loss journey (and beyond). Here’s why:

First, it’s easy to measure. Tips for measuring RHR:

• Do not take your RHR within one to two hours after exercise or a stressful event. Your heart rate can stay elevated after strenuous activities.
• Wait at least an hour after consuming caffeine, which can cause heart palpitations and make your heart rate rise.
• The American Heart Association recommends checking your resting heart rate first thing in the morning (but before you get out of bed).

Second, if you have a regularly high RHR, you can influence it with sustainable inputs, including exercise, keeping your cholesterol levels at bay, and reducing stress levels. Tips for lowering your RHR sustainably:

• Consistency is critical for exercise and physical fitness. Aim for 30+ minute of movement 4+ times a week instead of longer, more intense workouts fewer times per week.
• Stress levels play a major factor on RHR; consider mindfulness tools including meditation and breathwork to reduce stress levels.
• Sleep is also critical – to your body’s well-being, but also to maintaining your stress levels.

Finally, each person’s ideal RHR may be unique. Talk with your healthcare provider about what’s right for you, taking into consideration your current RHR, your age, fitness level, goals and more.

Need help figuring this out? Reach out to set up a visit with us. Our experienced team is ready to support you.

Sarah Eno is passionate about supporting healthy lifestyle and mindset change. She graduated in Functional Nutrition in 2016. She has supported hundreds of individuals to a health-promoting lifestyle and believes that everyone has the opportunity to experience health. Sarah is a wife and mom of 3 boys. She loves cross-country skiing, yoga, her Peloton, and does fashion runway part-time.