What is resting heart rate?
We have all heard people talk about taking someone’s pulse. Most adults have a resting heart rate of 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). The fitter you are the lower your resting heart rate will be, so an athlete might have a resting heart rate of 40 to 60bpm or less.
If you take someone’s pulse and their heart rate seems to be over 120bpm continuously, contact a GP, although for some people this is normal!
To reduce your heart’s resting bpm, which therefore means you are making your heart healthier, you need to look at doing exercise that works your heart and lungs, such as running on a treadmill or playing tennis.
Exercise at a moderate to high level for about 30 minutes a day to improve your heart’s health and reduce your resting heart rate. Monitor your heart rate yourself (or use a heart rate monitor) when you have worked hard so your heart if pumping (the maximum heart rate), as well as when your heart has calmed down (your resting heart rate).
You need to aim for a resting heart rate that is 50% to 75% of your maximum heart rate. The more you exercise, the stronger your heart will become and it won’t need to beat as fast. Try out kungfu at Southern Crane Kungfu to work on your heart rate!