What should be the resting & exercise pulse rate?

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TimeToReduceFat
TimeToReduceFat Posts: 127 Member
edited November 2018 in Health and Weight Loss
I went to the doctor yesterday, the machine showed pulse rate 85. Is this normal? I walked a little to the clinic & had to wait (sitting) for 30 minutes before checking this.
I also noticed that I am breathless to the extend of it effecting my speech when I climb just a level of stairs. Should I be worried? I weigh 89 Kg, 5 2” female, 35 yrs old.
This wasn’t the case when I was very active.
I heard the lower the heart rate, the better. Is that right?

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  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
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    https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/expert-answers/heart-rate/faq-20057979

    I don't know if you *should* be worried. It's clear that you're worrying, anyway. Losing some of the extra weight and getting more cardio exercise usually helps.
  • autumnblade75
    autumnblade75 Posts: 1,660 Member
    edited November 2018
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    TavistockToad wrote: »
    What did the doctor say?

    I didn't get the impression that the visit was related, but rather the vitals were announced with no explanation or quantification. Perhaps we experience doctor's visit's differently, though.

    It is a good question. I will not be surprised if OP didn't think to ask, or wasn't presented an opportunity.

    (edit was to fix a typo)
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
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    85 is well within the range for a normal resting heart rate, barring any specific conditions you may have.
  • TimeToReduceFat
    TimeToReduceFat Posts: 127 Member
    edited November 2018
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    The nurse told me it’s normal levels. I didn’t ask the doctor (I could have). I was there for an entirely different reason.
  • youngmomtaz
    youngmomtaz Posts: 1,075 Member
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    Resting heart rate levels can change due to training or lack thereof or a variety of health issues or medications. Mine sits at 45bpm. Sign of a well trained athlete?? I wish! Just hypothyroid over here. When I went through med trials for migraine this past spring/summer some of the meds had my resting hr at over 100bpm. And my mildly active hr at rates I don’t see on my intense cardio days. Those were not the meds for me!! Talk to your doc if yo are concerned but 85bpm during daytime hours is fairly average and can be lowered if you prefer with training and weight loss.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited November 2018
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    TimeToReduceFat wrote: »
    I went to the doctor yesterday, the machine showed pulse rate 85. Is this normal? I walked a little to the clinic & had to wait (sitting) for 30 minutes before checking this.
    I also noticed that I am breathless to the extend of it effecting my speech when I climb just a level of stairs. Should I be worried? I weigh 89 Kg, 5 2” female, 35 yrs old.
    This wasn’t the case when I was very active.
    I heard the lower the heart rate, the better. Is that right?

    The bolded would be my concern since as others have mentioned 60-100 bpm is considered the normal range for resting heart rate absent other conditions.

  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    At your height, something closer to 60kg is a healthy weight. The extra ~29 kg of weight is a burden on your heart, knees, and ankles. Cardiovascular fitness improves with cardiovascular exercise. Soon enough, you'll be able to climb several flights of stairs without losing your breath.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,222 Member
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    TimeToReduceFat wrote: »
    I went to the doctor yesterday, the machine showed pulse rate 85. Is this normal? I walked a little to the clinic & had to wait (sitting) for 30 before checking this.
    I also noticed that I am breathless to the extend of it effecting my speech when I climb just a level of stairs. Should I be worried? I weigh 89 Kg, 5 2” female, 35 yrs old.
    This wasn’t the case when I was very active.
    I heard the lower the heart rate, the better. Is that right?

    While the RHR of 85 is in the normal range, it's toward the higher end of normal. Being out of breath when climbing a flight of stairs can be a sign of a worrisome health issue medically speaking (ask your doctor), but it can also be a common effect of being inactive/out of shape, and at a higher than ideal body weight. I assume you're here on MFP trying to become healthier.

    Assuming you're not out of breath due to a serious medical problem, weight loss and exercise will, over time, improve your ability to climb stairs without getting out of breath, and are also likely to lower your resting heart rate.

    It's not the case that the lower the resting heart rate, the better. People have some genetic variability, so your heart rate might naturally be a little higher than some other people's, even at similar body weight and fitness level. Also, as someone else pointed out, certain worrisome health conditions are associated with an unusually low heart rate - lower is not better, in that case.

    It matters why your heart rate is low (or high). Think of it like being pale: Being pale can be a medical symptom, but some people are just naturally more pale-complected than others. What matters is why the person is pale, and how their paleness compares with their personal norm. Same general idea with heart rate: It matters why, and what your personal norm is.

    Ask your doctor.
  • sijomial
    sijomial Posts: 19,811 Member
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    I went to the doctor yesterday, the machine showed pulse rate 85. Is this normal?
    In normal range but could indicate poor fitness level (amongst a whole load of other things).
    In your lifetime is this normal for you?
    (For example in my lifetime 70 would be high when unfit and not exercising, 60 would be reasonably fit, sub-50 is my very fit. But these are my numbers not a general guideline.)

    I also noticed that I am breathless to the extend of it effecting my speech when I climb just a level of stairs. Should I be worried?
    Yes you should be concerned.
    That's an dreadfully low level of functional ability for someone your young age.

    I weigh 89 Kg, 5 2” female, 35 yrs old.
    Carrying a lot of extra weight isn't helping you or your heart.

    This wasn’t the case when I was very active.
    Sounds like time to start working seriously on regaining your health and fitness.

    I heard the lower the heart rate, the better. Is that right?
    No.
    Lowering RHR with increasing fitness level is extremely common/to be expected but the actual number is enormously varied.

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,899 Member
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    autumnblade75 wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    What did the doctor say?

    I didn't get the impression that the visit was related, but rather the vitals were announced with no explanation or quantification. Perhaps we experience doctor's visit's differently, though.

    It is a good question. I will not be surprised if OP didn't think to ask, or wasn't presented an opportunity.

    (edit was to fix a typo)

    If it had been me, I would have asked.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,899 Member
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    TimeToReduceFat wrote: »
    I also noticed that I am breathless to the extend of it effecting my speech when I climb just a level of stairs.

    That happened to me too ... until I started climbing several flights of stairs 5 days a week.

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