Resting heart rate...

fongjon
fongjon Posts: 19 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I think my resting heart rate is about 70 bpm? What are other peoples like? Also how to you measure? I was just using my finger and stop watch! ha. Are there any more accurate ways that don't cost the earth, an app or something?

Also how important is resting heart rate, is it an accurate indication of fitness?

Thanks in advance for any responces,

Jon
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Replies

  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    I'm between 65 and 70, which is normal for my age. I don't use it as a measure for fitness so much as I do for health. I have costochondritis, which can force my heart to need to pump a lot faster. So just being normal rather than fit is great for me. As far as my fitness, I prefer to watch my heart rate while I'm working out, rather than my resting one. It's a good indicator of if I'm pushing myself enough or being lazy. Also when I'm going too hard. I got to 203 today, and backed off.
  • Markguns
    Markguns Posts: 554 Member
    I'm 57
    6' 1", 215lb
    52-57 bpm

    http://www.fitnessmotivators.com/Files/Heart-Rates.pdf
  • fongjon
    fongjon Posts: 19 Member
    So how do you monitor it when exercising? Thanks for the reply to. Is your costochondritis a temporary condition?
  • fongjon
    fongjon Posts: 19 Member
    Nice link Mark, oh and love the guns kid. I work out myself, well during the winter more so.
  • aquarabbit
    aquarabbit Posts: 1,622 Member
    So how do you monitor it when exercising? Thanks for the reply to. Is your costochondritis a temporary condition?

    I have a Polar FT4 Heart Monitor. A pink one! I wear it every time I workout. It's been a really great help to stay right within the range I like for cardio (usually between 165-185). If there was one thing worth investing my money in (as far as my fitness is concerned) it was my monitor. It's been great. Pretty comfortable too, unless I'm lying belly down.

    They say that costochondritis is temporary. But when they say temporary, they usually mean 6 months to 2 years. It's the joints where your breastbone and ribs meet becoming inflamed and therefore restricting your lung capacity and heart pumping. It totally sucks and flairs up when I get any kind of respiratory problems. So the common cold is my worst nightmare. One time I almost passed out at the wheel because my breathing was so restricted. That was the main reason I got a monitor. If my heart rate goes too high, it can cause more inflammation and I can't breathe before I know it. This is actually something that if you are a smoker (going by your picture here!) you might want to watch out for. I was a smoker for a long time and it definitely made it easier for me to get this condition.
  • fongjon
    fongjon Posts: 19 Member
    So how do you monitor it when exercising? Thanks for the reply to. Is your costochondritis a temporary condition?

    I have a Polar FT4 Heart Monitor. A pink one! I wear it every time I workout. It's been a really great help to stay right within the range I like for cardio (usually between 165-185). If there was one thing worth investing my money in (as far as my fitness is concerned) it was my monitor. It's been great. Pretty comfortable too, unless I'm lying belly down.

    They say that costochondritis is temporary. But when they say temporary, they usually mean 6 months to 2 years. It's the joints where your breastbone and ribs meet becoming inflamed and therefore restricting your lung capacity and heart pumping. It totally sucks and flairs up when I get any kind of respiratory problems. So the common cold is my worst nightmare. One time I almost passed out at the wheel because my breathing was so restricted. That was the main reason I got a monitor. If my heart rate goes too high, it can cause more inflammation and I can't breathe before I know it. This is actually something that if you are a smoker (going by your picture here!) you might want to watch out for. I was a smoker for a long time and it definitely made it easier for me to get this condition.

    What a nightmare, I do hope it does not last too long. It sounds like it could make exercising quite painful, and a heart monitor a good idea! I will check out the Polar FT4 Heart Monitor (pink obvs!), so its just a watch. Might have to invest at some point. Thyanks again, and good luck.
  • snowbike
    snowbike Posts: 153 Member
    Between 44bpm and 47bpm ( i'm 47 years old) . I'm an endurance mountain biker. Before I lost the weight I was up in the 70s.

    I use my RHR to monitor recovery. While the body has to fix stuff the heart rate will be slightly elevated. As part of recovery, I allow My resting heart rate to recover at or near my RHR before doing any hard training. This can take hours or days depending on what I do. After long endurance events (10+hours) it can take 2-3 days to recover.

    RHR is very trainable and a VERY good sign of cardio vascular fitness. I think its important to know your RHR.
  • MizzEngelChen
    MizzEngelChen Posts: 71 Member
    Mine is about 60bpm also measured with finger and stop watch - Why complicate things?
  • elephant_in_the_room
    elephant_in_the_room Posts: 145 Member
    I have a Garmin forerunneer 310XT which different to its predecessor model doesn't go flat any more after 10 hours.
    I wear it during exercise, heart rate easily goes up to 180 and is often 140-150 on average -- I work out fairly intensely, but then also, my heart rate just goes pretty high pretty quickly. When I try to rest and watch it, it normally goes up just from the movement of the arm or the presence of an observer.

    Just out of curiosity, I wore it overnight today and found that the average heart rate during the night had been 59bpm... So I guess that's my minimum. That makes me happy because at my age, ithat seems to make me an athlete -- and that with a sedentary full time job, wow!
  • astartig
    astartig Posts: 549 Member
    I have a heart rate monitor and it goes between 67 and 74
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    Resting heart rate an indicator of aerobic fitness but there is a huge range of what is "normal".
    A friend of mine is much fitter but has a higher RHR as his heart isn't very efficient.

    At peak cycling fitness mine is 50bpm, currently about 53. When I'm not doing much cardio then it's over 60.

    If you only want to know your RHR then finger on your pulse and count is fine - do it when you haven't recently eaten anything and stress free. If you want to do heart rate training then get a HRM (I use a Polar FT7).

    Think there is a phone app that reads minute changes in your face to determine your pulse but don't know the name of it.
  • Mcgrawhaha
    Mcgrawhaha Posts: 1,596 Member
    my resting heart rate is between 55-58... I have a heart rate monitor here at home.
  • Donners185
    Donners185 Posts: 329 Member
    My resting heart rate is roughly 55 bpm. I had to have a very small operation back in March but i was backwards and forwards to the hospital for weeks before and after the op. I had to have blood sample and stats taken each time I went. My resting heart rate was recorded each time they took my stats which was anything between 54 and 56 each time.
  • Amas77
    Amas77 Posts: 118 Member
    35 y.o. female yoga teacher just ate a tortilla with peanut butter sitting on the sofa and took my heart rate with a stopwatch 3xs: 56, 52, 58. I don't wear a monitor when exercising.

    My hubby has an iPhone app that measures your HR when you put your finger on the camera lense... HTH!
  • EdTheGinge
    EdTheGinge Posts: 1,616 Member
    Ranges between 40-44 bpm, 25year old here.
  • Jessb1985
    Jessb1985 Posts: 264 Member
    About 53 bpm now.

    It used to be about 100 before I had open heart surgery to fix a hole in my heart and lost weight.

    All good now :) I measure mine with a Polar FT4
  • Delicate
    Delicate Posts: 625 Member
    45-50 and im 27, used to be in the 70's

    i just realised it one time i looked at my polar and it said my rate, i got excited and it went up, rofl
  • Doodlewhopper
    Doodlewhopper Posts: 1,018 Member
    The best time to check your RHR is before you get out of bed in the AM. It will change from day to day depending on how hard you have been training. When you find it elevated more than usual it's a good indication that you should take a rest day.d

    Im 60, 6'.0", and my RHR is around 48 bpm. I use an old Nike Triax HRM Ive had for around 10 years.
  • patentguru
    patentguru Posts: 312 Member
    For me, it depends on what type of cardio I am doing. When I was running marathons in my 40's, my best resting heart rate was 55. I am now into fast road biking, which is more strain on my heart. At my physical last week, my resting heart rate was 48 (I am 51).
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    I'm 57 and last time I checked my RHR was 52.
  • kimmianne89
    kimmianne89 Posts: 428 Member
    My resting heart rate is around 65bpm. I use my heart rate monitor, best thing I have bought.
    I love seeing my heart rate when exercising, although sometimes it beeps at me cause I hit 200 bpm when sprinting up hill haha
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    53 years of age.
    rhr 36
    Yoga, Bodyweight exercises, swimming.
  • wtw0n
    wtw0n Posts: 1,083 Member
    My resting heart rate is around 55-58 bpm.

    When I exercise I use Polar RCX3.
  • stephenidea
    stephenidea Posts: 30
    I used to run about 3 miles a day as well as hit the gym about 4 times a week. At that point my resting heart rate was about 42 bmp. Now I run a lot less but go to the gym 7 days a week and my resting heart rate is about 47bmp - 52bpm.

    There's a great iPhone app called Heart Monitor which I use its free and easy to use just place your finger over the light on your camera and wait patiently.
  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    My resting heart rate in the morning is usually between 61 - 65 which is "excellent" for my age range. I vary between powerwalks, lifting heavy weights and doing Pilates 6 days per week. I check my blood pressure every morning and my heart rate shows on there.
  • Alissakae
    Alissakae Posts: 317 Member
    I'm 52 and have been exercising very regularly for the past year. My rhr was in the 70's. Now after all the hours of incline treadmill, walking, water aerobics and Zumba it was 55 when I had my blood pressure taken a few days ago. This is considered in the athletic range (blood pressure 98/55). Exercise truly makes a difference.
  • annieu613
    annieu613 Posts: 143 Member
    Before I started working out regularly it was between 75-80. Now it's between 55-60.
  • fongjon
    fongjon Posts: 19 Member
    Mine is about 60bpm also measured with finger and stop watch - Why complicate things?

    A refreshing approach in today's high tech world, make me want to go climb a mountain! Thanks for you input...I think 60 is pretty good too.
  • fongjon
    fongjon Posts: 19 Member
    Cant ever get that app to work for me, must have a defective finger or something. Thanks for you input bro
  • fongjon
    fongjon Posts: 19 Member
    I used to run about 3 miles a day as well as hit the gym about 4 times a week. At that point my resting heart rate was about 42 bmp. Now I run a lot less but go to the gym 7 days a week and my resting heart rate is about 47bmp - 52bpm.

    There's a great iPhone app called Heart Monitor which I use its free and easy to use just place your finger over the light on your camera and wait patiently.

    Cant ever get that app to work for me, must have a defective finger or something. Thanks for you input bro

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