Low resting HR /obese

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aimeemcfarland1
aimeemcfarland1 Posts: 1 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi guys and gals
I'm 5'4" and 197 pounds. I started really taking my health seriously and 3 weeks ago I was 205 so a huge victory for me. I recently purchased a fitness monitor and my resting heart rate is 56-58. Is this normal or should I be alarmed.

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  • ajwcyclist2016
    ajwcyclist2016 Posts: 161 Member
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    Normal. It's not on the really low side but is still a good sign of a reasonable heart. Mine is around 42. Some people have resting heart rates in the 30s.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    That could be a really good sign that your heart is healthy, or it could be a really bad sign that you have a problem. Most of us aren't doctors, and if any of us are, they can't diagnose you over the internet. If you think you have any reason to worry, talk to your doctor, who might refer you to a cardiologist that can do some tests and (hopefully) give you a clean bill of health.

    With that said, a lot of fitness trackers have heart rate monitors that aren't terribly accurate, especially for resting heart rate. I have a fancy and expensive one, and its HRM is basically worthless.

    I don't know how credible this is but I googled typical resting heart rate for a woman and the first result said 60 to 100 bpm.

    Most people who do a lot of cardio wind up with a lower RHR than everyone else. Like any muscle, the heart gets stronger. Its stroke volume increases, which is a fancy way of saying it pumps the same amount of blood with fewer beats.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    aimeemcfarland1 wrote: »
    Hi guys and gals
    I'm 5'4" and 197 pounds. I started really taking my health seriously and 3 weeks ago I was 205 so a huge victory for me. I recently purchased a fitness monitor and my resting heart rate is 56-58. Is this normal or should I be alarmed.

    It is a good thing.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    It probably doesn't mean anything positive or negative. People tend to way overestimate the significance of resting HR.
  • SparklyBubblyBabe
    SparklyBubblyBabe Posts: 96 Member
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    I know mine is in the middle (66-ish) but my brother's is like 30...I don't know if he just has a weak pulse and can't be easily read or what but it's weird. Neither of us are obese but I'm overweight. He's slim (used to be slimmer!) and this was taken when he used to do P90x so I'm not sure if it's gone up now.

    I would say if you're also having trouble breathing or any chest pain in addition to low-heart rate, see a doctor immediately. Otherwise, you might have trouble being read by the machine or it might just be what's normal for you!
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
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    I looked back in my reports from my Garmin. In Sept, when I started, my average RHR was 67. Now it is 54. It makes me feel good to have lowered it by more than 10, whether it matters or not.
  • Princess4Run
    Princess4Run Posts: 135 Member
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    Low HR could be a sign of hypothyroidism. When diagnosed mine was in high 40s and I felt just darn awful and tired all the time. If you feel fine, I wouldn't worry. If you have any signs and symptoms of low thyroid, it's worth to check your levels with a simple blood test.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
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    If you are worried see a doctor.

    A 'normal' resting heart rate in adults is anywhere between 60-100 beats per minute.

    If you got your heart rate reading from a monitor or other electronic measure I would suggest doing a manual pulse check over a full minute while at rest. Then repeating that a couple of times to see what the average is. Monitors can be quite inaccurate buy several bpm, even the ones we use in hospitals. Manual checks are usually a much more reliable figure.

    If it's still a number you have questions about, see your doctor.

    If you don't know how to check your pulse then get the doc to do it.
  • crackpotbaby
    crackpotbaby Posts: 1,297 Member
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    ajwcyclist2016 wrote: »
    Normal. It's not on the really low side but is still a good sign of a reasonable heart. Mine is around 42. Some people have resting heart rates in the 30s.

    Other people with resting heart rates in their 30s need a pacemaker.

  • berrios96sean
    berrios96sean Posts: 8 Member
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    Be careful with a low resting heart rate and if you have medical care please please please see a doctor. That is the only way you can get a clear cut answer. I have always had a low resting heart rate and then one day I felt my face going numb and it spread into my arm throughout the day. Check yourself for swollen lymphnodes under the neck from time to time I have also had that As well it could be a sign that you have bradycardia and it is hereditary so ask your family about it. Just please be careful it is a really dangerous condition to go untreated
  • markrgeary1
    markrgeary1 Posts: 853 Member
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    Are you on any meds? That's a side effect of some.

    That rate is in the normal range, if you get dizzy or disoriented that's a problem.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
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    The only other concern with a low RHR (which is unexplainable) is if you exercise, does the heart rate come up to high levels? If so, that's a good sign. If you a have a low RHR and you are out of shape, if you try to do some cardio you should see a pretty signficant jump in your heart rate quickly and it should go high. If you are exercising pretty hard and your heart rate does not go up high but hovers around say 120/130 (and you are NOT in shape), I think that indicates a problem. Could be hypothyroidism or it could be the inability of your heart to work for you as it should.

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