The rate at which your heart rate returns to normal after exercise can indicate your cardiovascular health and the risk of certain diseases. People with long heart rate recovery times, for example, are at a higher risk of death than people with shorter recovery times, regardless of physical condition or other risk factors. Measuring heart rate recovery rates is one way to determine whether an exercise program is effective. People with better cardiovascular health have lower peak heart rates and return to their resting heart rate more quickly after physical activity.
What Is Heart Rate Recovery?
Heart rate recovery measures how quickly your heart rate returns to a normal pace after exercise. It is calculated by measuring your heart rate at the end of peak exercise and again two minutes later, then subtracting the first measurement from the second. The average heart rate recovery ranges between 12 and 23 beats per minute.
Before you begin exercising, use the following chart to determine your target heart rate based on your age group.
| Age Group | Target Heart Rate (beats/minute) |
| 20-29 | 120 - 160 |
| 30-39 | 114 - 152 |
| 40-49 | 108 - 144 |
| 50-59 | 102 - 136 |
| 60-69 | 96 - 128 |
| 70-79 | 90 - 120 |
| 80-89 | 84 - 112 |
| 90-99 | 78 - 104 |
| 100+ | 72 - 96 |
Once you reach your target heart rate, stop and locate your pulse point by placing one or two fingertips on the opposite wrist, just below the base of your thumb. Count the number of heartbeats you feel in ten seconds. Write down your heart rate right away. Then wait ten seconds and check again. Multiply that number by six to find the number of heartbeats per minute.
Measure your heart rate again 2 minutes after exercising. Subtract the second heart rate measurement from the first one. Compare the difference to the following ranges to determine your biological age compared to your actual age:
- Less than 22: Your biological age is slightly older than your calendar age.
- 22-52: Your biological age is about the same as your calendar age.
- 53-58: Your biological age is slightly younger than your calendar age.
- 59-65: Your biological age is moderately younger than your calendar age.
- 66 or more: Your biological age is a lot younger than your calendar age.
The quicker your heart rate returns to normal, the healthier your heart is considered to be. Manually tracking your heart rate during exercise can be challenging, especially when attempting to measure your heart rate at the peak of your workout. When you stop exercising, your heart rate begins to fall. You can avoid this problem by using a fitness tracker device. These devices are intended to record your heart rate during your workout and make it easier to measure your heart rate recovery rate afterward.
Now that you know more about the importance of heart rate recovery, do you know what causes heart rate changes during and after exercise? The autonomic nervous system (ANS) controls heart rate, breathing, and digestion functions. It has two parts: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.
The "fight or flight" response, in which the heart rate, blood flow, and breathing rate all go up in response to stress or danger, is caused by the sympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system causes the "rest and digest" response. This response slows down the heart rate and breathing. The balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems affects how quickly the heart rate returns to normal after exercise.
A stronger parasympathetic response, which indicates better heart health, is shown by a faster heart rate recovery. A slower heart rate recovery can mean that the autonomic nervous system isn't working right or that the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems aren't working together.
Why Heart Rate Recovery Is Important
Heart rate recovery is essential because it helps inform us how the heart responds to stress. Exercise is a healthy way to stress the body and improve heart rate recovery. This stress aids in the health of your muscles, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease is a large problem in our country; fortunately there are measures we can take to improve this condition, as well as many others. Heart rate recovery is a valuable tool to aid in these measures.
You may not realize that if your heart does not recover quickly after exercise training, it could indicate a lack of fitness and potential health problems. A slower decrease in heart rate after exercise increases the risk of health problems and all-cause mortality, such as:
- Cardiovascular disease
- Diabetes
- Inflammation
- Heart attack
- Stroke
- Heartbeat irregularity
Calculating your recovery heart rate is one way to assess the effectiveness of cardiovascular exercise. The faster your heart beats per minute, the more efficiently it circulates blood throughout your body. Regular cardiovascular exercise can help the heart muscle become stronger, allowing it to pump more blood with each beat. A stronger heart muscle leads to a more efficient heart and a faster recovery heart rate. .
Factors That Can Affect Heart Rate Recovery
Many factors besides your fitness level can affect your body’s ability to achieve healthy heart rate recovery immediately, so it helps to know how they can affect you. These factors include:
- Cardiovascular fitness level: A person who regularly performs a physical activity and has higher cardiovascular fitness levels will recover faster.
- Age: As people age, their heart rate recovery slows down.
- Gender: Men recover from heart attacks faster than women.
- Medications: Certain medications, such as beta-blockers, can affect exercise capacity and slow heart rate recovery.
- Chronic diseases: Diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity can all impact heart rate recovery.
- Tobacco: The use of tobacco can harm the heart and blood vessels, resulting in slower recovery rates.
- Caffeine: Too much caffeine intake negatively affects heart rate after exercise.
- Dehydration: Not getting enough water can alter cardiovascular function and elevate heart rate, resulting in slower heart rate recovery.
- Chronic stress: Stress can cause an increase in heart rate and a slower rate of heart rate recovery.
- Sleep deprivation: Lack of sleep and fatigue can cause an increase in heart rate and a slower recovery rate.
It is important to note that some factors, such as cardiovascular fitness, age, and chronic diseases, are modifiable, whereas gender and genetics are not.
How To Improve Your Heart Rate Recovery
The information provided here may have you asking how you can improve your heart rate recovery. Your unique needs and goals determine the ideal strategy for boosting heart rate recovery. Several methods for increasing heart rate recovery include
- Regular cardiovascular exercise
- Quit smoking.
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing stress
- Getting enough sleep
- Medication monitoring
- A healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains
- Chronic disease monitoring
Record your resting heart rate as a baseline before beginning a new exercise regimen and track how it improves with your exercise routine. Your recovery heart rate can be used to predict coronary artery disease risk and death from heart disease. It also indicates your level of physical fitness and heart health.
Set defined and attainable goals for improving your heart rate recovery. For example, you could strive to reduce your heart rate recovery time by five beats per minute over the next three months.
Consider your current lifestyle and preferences when working towards a better heart rate recovery. For example, if you're a smoker who wants to quit, look for tools to assist you in stopping. Implement stress management strategies or better nutrition if you don't want to exercise. Take the stairs every chance you get, or sign up for a fitness class. You may also want to take evening walks or clean the house. Get creative!
Remember that enhancing heart rate recovery is a gradual process, so be patient and consistent in your efforts. Try testing different workouts until you find something that works for you. Consult with your healthcare practitioner with any concerns. Keep track of your progress to ensure you're on track to meet your goals
Final Thoughts: Understanding And Improving Heart Rate Recovery
Heart rate recovery is a measure of how quickly your heart rate returns to a normal pace after exercise. It is calculated by measuring your heart rate at the end of peak exercise and again two minutes later, then subtracting the first measurement from the second. People with better cardiovascular health have lower peak heart rates and return to their resting heart rate more quickly after physical activity.
The rate at which your heart rate returns to normal after exercise can indicate your cardiovascular health and the risk of certain diseases. Measuring heart rate recovery rates is one way to determine whether an exercise program is effective. Before making significant changes to your exercise or nutrition routine, consult a healthcare professional. Heart rate recovery is an important metric to measure cardiovascular health, which can be improved by making lifestyle adjustments.