What Your Resting Heart Rate Reveals About Fitness — and How to Lower It Safely

Quick Summary

• Resting heart rate (RHR) is a simple, reliable marker of cardiovascular fitness and autonomic balance; lower values generally indicate better aerobic conditioning.
• Measure RHR first thing in the morning, while relaxed and consistent, and track trends rather than one-off readings.
• Proven ways to lower RHR include regular aerobic exercise, strength training, better sleep, stress management, and healthy lifestyle habits.
• Use RHR as a training and recovery metric, but consult a healthcare professional if values are consistently very high, very low, or accompanied by symptoms.

Introduction

Your resting heart rate—the number of times your heart beats per minute while at rest—is an easy-to-measure metric that can tell you a lot about your fitness, recovery and overall cardiovascular health. Athletes often have lower resting rates because of higher stroke volume and more efficient hearts, while a rising RHR can be an early signal of overtraining, illness or stress. This article explains what resting heart rate means, how to measure it properly, and practical, evidence-based strategies to lower it safely.

What Is Resting Heart Rate and How to Measure It

Resting heart rate (RHR) is your pulse when your body is relaxed and not under physical or emotional stress. For most adults, a typical RHR ranges from about 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Endurance athletes and very fit people often have RHRs below 60 bpm; some fall into the 40s. Very low values can be normal in trained individuals but should be checked if they cause dizziness or other symptoms.

How to measure RHR accurately

• Measure first thing after waking and before getting out of bed, after a night of normal sleep.
• Take the pulse at the wrist (radial) or neck (carotid) and count beats for 60 seconds, or use a validated heart-rate monitor or chest strap for consistency.
• Record several morning readings over a week to establish your baseline and look for trends rather than relying on one number.

Why Resting Heart Rate Matters for Training and Health

RHR reflects the balance between the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous systems, as well as cardiac efficiency. A lower RHR generally indicates stronger cardiovascular fitness because the heart pumps more blood per beat, so it doesn’t need to beat as often. Tracking RHR over weeks and months gives athletes and recreational exercisers useful insight into fitness gains and readiness:

• Improving aerobic capacity typically reduces RHR over time.
• An unexpected upward trend in RHR can precede illness, inadequate recovery, or overreaching training.
• Consistently low RHR in a non-athlete, especially with symptoms like fainting or extreme fatigue, warrants medical evaluation.

Use RHR alongside subjective measures (sleep quality, mood, perceived exertion) and objective training data (pacing, power, distance). For runners, combining RHR trends with guidance on training and recovery can optimize performance—see advice about the right strength plan for running, recovery fueling, and pacing strategies for long runs to connect RHR with practical training decisions: strength plan for runners, recovery fueling, finding long-run pace.

Evidence-Based Ways to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate

Lowering RHR generally comes from improving cardiovascular fitness and reducing chronic stressors on the heart. Here are practical, research-backed approaches:

1. Build consistent aerobic exercise

Moderate-intensity aerobic activity—brisk walking, jogging, cycling, swimming—done regularly improves stroke volume and can lower RHR. Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous activity, spread across most days. Progress gradually to avoid injury or overtraining.

2. Include some high-intensity intervals

Short bouts of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can produce rapid cardiovascular adaptations and reduce RHR more efficiently in some people. Examples: 4–8 rounds of 30–60 seconds near-max effort with full or partial recovery between efforts, once or twice weekly depending on fitness and recovery.

3. Add strength training

Two or more days per week of whole-body resistance training supports cardiovascular health, body composition and recovery, and complements aerobic work. If you run, combine strength work with your running plan to build resilience: right strength plan for running.

4. Prioritize sleep and recovery

Poor or insufficient sleep can raise resting heart rate and blunt training gains. Aim for consistent sleep timing, a cool, comfortable bedroom, and 7–9 hours per night for most adults: practical cooling tips can help older adults and others sleep better (cool bedroom strategies).

5. Manage stress and breathing

Chronic stress drives sympathetic nervous activity and elevates RHR. Mindfulness, meditation, slow diaphragmatic breathing, and yoga stimulate the parasympathetic system and can lower RHR over time.

6. Improve lifestyle factors

Stay hydrated, maintain a healthy weight, limit excessive alcohol and tobacco, and address conditions such as anemia or thyroid dysfunction with your healthcare provider—these can all affect RHR.

Practical 8-Week Plan to Lower RHR (Example)

This sample progression assumes you are healthy and cleared for exercise. Adjust intensity and volume to your level and consult a clinician for preexisting conditions.

1. Weeks 1–2: 3 sessions of 30 minutes moderate cardio (walking/cycling), 2 short bodyweight strength sessions (20–30 minutes), sleep routine, daily relaxation practice (5–10 minutes).
2. Weeks 3–5: Increase cardio to 40–45 minutes 3–4x/week. Add 1 interval session per week (e.g., 5×1 minute hard/2 minutes easy). Strength training 2×/week.
3. Weeks 6–8: Maintain 3 aerobic sessions, 1 HIIT session, 2 strength sessions. Monitor RHR weekly in the morning and note trends.

Checklist: Steps to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate

• Measure and record morning RHR for 7–14 days to establish baseline.
• Follow a consistent aerobic training plan (150 min moderate or equivalent per week).
• Add 1–2 weekly interval sessions and 2 strength sessions.
• Prioritize 7–9 hours of quality sleep; optimize bedroom environment.
• Practice daily stress-management (breathing, short meditation, or yoga).
• Hydrate, avoid tobacco, and limit heavy alcohol use.
• Track trends, not single numbers; consult a healthcare provider for abnormal values or symptoms.

Common Mistakes

• Relying on a single morning reading instead of a trend—daily variation is normal.
• Overtraining in the belief that more exercise will rapidly lower RHR; inadequate recovery can raise RHR instead.
• Ignoring sleep and stress—exercise helps, but poor recovery cancels gains.
• Comparing yourself to elite athletes—low RHR in pro endurance athletes isn’t a universal target.
• Using inaccurate consumer devices without validating them against a chest strap or manual count when possible.

When to See a Healthcare Professional

Consult a doctor if your resting heart rate is consistently above 100 bpm (tachycardia) or below 50 bpm when you are not a trained athlete and you experience symptoms like dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, or chest pain. Also seek advice if sudden changes in RHR occur with no clear cause. Your clinician can evaluate for underlying causes such as cardiac conditions, thyroid disease, anemia or medication effects.

Conclusion

Resting heart rate is a powerful, low-cost metric to track cardiovascular fitness, recovery and overall health. By measuring RHR properly, following a balanced exercise plan that includes aerobic and strength work, prioritizing sleep and recovery, and managing stress, many people can lower their resting heart rate over time and improve fitness. Use RHR as one of several tools in your training toolbox, monitor trends, and consult health professionals whenever readings or symptoms raise concern. If you’re a runner, integrating strength training and smart fueling into your routine and matching training load to recovery will help you translate lower RHR into better performance—see resources on running strength, recovery fueling, pacing and footwear for practical support: strength plan, recovery fuel, finding long-run pace, best running shoes.

FAQ

1. What is a normal resting heart rate?

For most adults, a normal resting heart rate is about 60–100 bpm. Athletically trained people often fall below 60 bpm. Consider age, medications and fitness level when interpreting your number.

2. How long does it take to lower resting heart rate?

Some people see modest reductions within 4–8 weeks of consistent aerobic training and lifestyle changes; larger changes take months. Individual responses vary with starting fitness, genetics and adherence.

3. Can stress or poor sleep raise my resting heart rate?

Yes. Chronic stress and insufficient sleep increase sympathetic activity and inflammation, both of which can raise RHR. Improving sleep and stress management often helps reduce it.

4. Should I aim for a very low RHR like elite athletes?

Not necessarily. Extremely low RHRs are common in endurance athletes due to long-term training adaptations. For recreational exercisers, focus on progressive fitness improvements and how you feel rather than chasing a specific number.

5. Can my fitness tracker’s RHR be trusted?

Wrist-worn trackers give useful trends but can be less accurate than chest straps or manual measurement. Validate your device against a manual count taken first thing in the morning to ensure consistent tracking.