Resting Heart Rate During The Night
Nightly average RHR varies widely between individuals. A normal heart rate can range anywhere from 40 to 100 beats per minute and still be considered average. It can also change from day to day, depending on your hydration level, elevation, physical activity, and body temperature. As with many of your bodys signals, its best to compare your RHR with your own baseline. Avoid comparisons to those around you.
When looking at your RHR curve, pay special attention to these three things:
- Your trend: Does your RHR go up, down, or stay level during the night?
- Your lowest point: When is your RHR lowest?
- Your end: Right before you wake up, does your RHR change?
With these questions in mind, here are three patterns you may recognize in the night-time heart rate curves you can see with Oura:
Heart Rate Zone 3: 7080% Of Hrmax
Working out in heart rate zone 3 is especially effective for improving the efficiency of blood circulation in the heart and skeletal muscles. This is the zone in which that pesky lactic acid starts building up in your bloodstream.
Training in this HR zone will make moderate efforts easier and improve your efficiency.
Measuring Your Heart Rate
Your heart rate is individual to you and your age is a big factor in how high it can go when exercising. The best way to detect your heart rate is by wearing a heart rate monitor. The pulse sensors on treadmills are inaccurate. The best monitor is a heart rate chest strap or the new fitness wrist bands.
The best heart rate chest straps are made by polar* and give very accurate and clear readings that are easy to understand on a wrist watch that accompanies the strap. They change readings as soon as your heart rate changes. Some treadmills can pick up the transmission from the strap and display your heart rate on the console.
The new way to measure your heart rate is using fitness bands or activity trackers* which have been selling in massive quantities. These you wear like a watch and they have sensors next to the wrist that can accurately measure your heart rate. These connect to cell phones and computers and display information over a period of time in graph formats.
Don’t Miss: Does Your Heart Rate Increase When Pregnant
What Your Heart Rate Is Telling You
Your pulse, both at rest and during exercise, can reveal your risk for heart attack and your aerobic capacity.
Your grandmother may have referred to your heart as “your ticker,” but that nickname has proved to be a misnomer. A healthy heart doesn’t beat with the regularity of clockwork. It speeds up and slows down to accommodate your changing need for oxygen as your activities vary throughout the day. What is a “normal” heart rate varies from person to person. However, an unusually high resting heart rate or low maximum heart rate may signify an increased risk of heart attack and death.
One simple thing people can do is to check their resting heart rate. It’s a fairly easy to do and having the information can help down the road. It’s a good idea to take your pulse occasionally to get a sense of what’s normal for you and to identify unusual changes in rate or regularity that may warrant medical attention.
Heart Rate Zone 5: 90100% Of Hrmax
Heart rate zone 5 is your maximal effort. Your heart and your blood and respiratory system will be working at their maximal capacity. Lactic acid will build up in your blood and after a few minutes you wont be able to continue at this intensity.
If youre just starting out or have only been training for some time, you probably wont have to train at this intensity. If youre a professional athlete, look into incorporating interval training into your training plan for peak performance.
Don’t Miss: How High Should Your Heart Rate Be
Target Heart Rate Calculator
Ever ask yourself, “how do I find my target heart rate?” Finding your target heart rate is easy with our target heart rate calculator. Target heart rate calculation can be determined for any age and activity level, enabling you to use a heart rate monitor and get the most benefit from your workouts.
The Heart Rate You Should Have When Running On A Treadmill
Now you know your maximum heart rate we’re getting closer to answering the main question. But what your heart rate should be when running on a treadmill is determined by what you’re trying to achieve. These are measured as percentages of your maximum heart rate as you never want to run at your maximum again as it’s a little dangerous to keep doing it.
You need to be at a different percentage for your long runs, your aerobic runs, anaerobic and sprinting. The percentages are quite straight forward, so if we take our 40 year old with his maximum heart rate of 180. Then using the percentages below he would do his long or easy runs at 108 bpm to 126 bpm which is 60% to 70% of 180. You would do the same to work out the runs below:
| Target |
|---|
| 162 to 180 |
Don’t Miss: How To Slow Down My Heart Rate
What If My Resting Heart Rate Is High; Does The Same Formula Still Apply
Even if your resting heart rate is higher, say 90 beats per minute, the same formula still applies to you. What this means, however, is that you have less room to move in terms of reaching your maximum safe heart rate.
Studies show that a resting heart rate of over 84 may be dangerous and having a medical exam is important to ensure that you dont have any underlying issues causing the accelerated rate.
If you have had a higher heart rate your entire life, then it is likely that you simply have a high heart rate, but it is always best to err on the side of caution and get a medical opinion.
Heart Rate Zone 4: 8090% Of Hrmax
Heart rate zone 4 is where the going gets tough. Youll be breathing hard and working aerobically.
If you train at this intensity, youll improve your speed endurance. Your body will get better at using carbohydrates for energy and youll be able to withstand higher levels of lactic acid in your blood for longer.
Recommended Reading: What Is A Good Heart Rate For Exercise
The Hill: Too Exhausted For Bed
If your RHR increases right after you fall asleep, this could be a sign of exhaustion. Did you go to sleep on time? If its past your regular bedtime, you may start feeling the effects of increased melatonina hormone that aids sleepand lower blood pressure. This communication from your body serves as a warning of sorts, reminding you to get to bed on time.
If you did go to sleep during your ideal bedtime window, its possible that your heart rate may be increasing at the start of the night for reasons you cant control. For instance, your airways may have relaxed during sleep, causing you to snore, which raises your heart rate.
Target Heart Rates Chart
What should your heart rate be when working out, and how can you keep track of it? Our simple chart will help keep you in the target training zone, whether you want to lose weight or just maximize your workout. Find out what normal resting and maximum heart rates are for your age and how exercise intensity and other factors affect heart rate.
Don’t Miss: How Do I Lower My Heart Rate
How Fast Should The Heartbeat Be When Exercising
Whether you exercise with the intention of burning fat or gaining muscle, it’s impossible to overlook the benefits of exercise on your heart. When you strengthen your heart by exercising, you improve the health of this organ and limit your risk of heart disease. Maximizing your workout means raising your heart rate to within a specific zone, but not exceeding it.
What Happens If I Go Over My 90% Heart Rate Goal When I Exercise
One of the reasons that experts recommend that you see your doctor before you start any exercise program is so that you can determine just how much exercise you can do. It doesnt matter how out of shape you are; you have to find exercises that are safe for you to participate in.
If your heart rate exceeds your 90% max, then you need to slow down. You dont necessarily have to stop unless slowing down doesnt help your heart rate to decrease. If you exceed your maximum heart rate, then you may need to seek medical attention, especially if you exceed it by large amounts.
As time goes on, you will find that as you get stronger it will take more work for you to get your heart rate to go up as high as you want it. That is the benefit of being a healthy person.
The good news is that, once you meet your weight loss or health goals, then you wont have to worry about getting your maximum 90%. Instead, you will simply want to work toward maintenance, which doesnt require such intense exercise.
Do yourself a favor and invest in a heart monitor that you wear on your wrist so that you can keep track of your heart rate. This will ensure that you meet your goals and dont exceed your maximum safe heart rate at the same time.
Read Also: What Causes Heart Rate To Spike
How Do I Calculate My Maximum Heart Rate
That is why it is easier to say that a safe upper limit is 60% to 90% of your maximum heart rate rather than us trying to provide you with a specific number. If you want a general idea of what your maximum exercise heart rate should be, then you take 220 and subtract your age.
That is the maximum rate your heart should beat while exercising. If you are exceeding that amount, then you are working too hard and need to back off until your rate is 60% to 90% of that level.
When it comes to exercising, you want your heart rate to go up. The goal is not to keep your heart rate down, something that many people dont understand. You want your resting heart rate to be low, not your exercising heart rate.
You really want your heart rate to be elevated and if you arent achieving an increase of at least 50% of your maximum heart rate, then you arent benefiting like you should from your exercises.
As you get into better shape, you want to try to achieve 90% of your maximum heart rate to get the most benefit from your exercises.
Know Your Numbers: Maximum And Target Heart Rate By Age
This table shows target heart rate zones for different ages. Your maximum heart rate is about 220 minus your age.3
In the age category closest to yours, read across to find your target heart rates. Target heart rate during moderate intensity activities is about 50-70% of maximum heart rate, while during vigorous physical activity its about 70-85% of maximum.
The figures are averages, so use them as a general guide.
Don’t Miss: Do Beta Blockers Decrease Heart Rate
Moderate Heart Rate Zone
If you want to be more specific for your workouts, there are many fitness apps or gear that can track your heart rate while exercising.; There are general equations to use to guide you into targeted heart rate ranges, but keep in mind there is individual variance within these estimates.
To get your maximal heart rate, take 220- your age.
For example, if someone is 50 years old, their estimated maximal heart rate would be 220- 50, 170 beats per minute.; For moderate exercise heart rate, you would take 0.5 to 0.7 multiplied by 170.; So, target heart rate for someone 50 years old would be 85-119 beats per minute.
What Is A Normal Or Resting Heart Rate
There are three general ways to classify;heart rate, 1) normal, 2) fast and 3) slow.
- A resting heart rate is normal between 60-100 beats per minute.
- A resting heart rate is fast at greater than 100 beats per minute.
- A resting heart rate is slow at less than 60 beats per minute.
A resting heart rate predicts longevity and cardiovascular disease, and current evidence suggests that it is also an important marker of outcome in cardiovascular disease, including heart failure. A normal heart rate is generally stated to be between 60-100 beats per minute at rest . However, recent studies have suggested that an ideal resting heart rate is between 50-70 beats per minute. It is well-known that the average resting heart rate for well-trained athletes is between 40-60 beats per minute! A heart rate can change dramatically while sleeping or with daily activity and exercise. Usually, a heart rate will be slower during sleep, faster during daily activities or with exercise, and recover quickly back to a resting rate after exercise. This means your heart has appropriate heart rate variability and recovery, which is associated with good heart health. Your resting heart rate can also be used to estimate how much energy your body uses, or your basal metabolic rate.
Recommended Reading: How Does Exercise Affect Heart Rate
Your Heart Rate Zone Calculation
Do you know your maximum heart rate? Use the heart rate zones calculator below to estimate your HR zones based on your maximum heart rate.
If youre looking for a heart rate zone training calculator, this is the best way to measure the variation you need.
Dont know your HRmax? Read more about calculating your maximum heart rate.
Benefits Of Vigorous Exercise
While some studies have shown equal benefit between moderate and vigorous exercise on fat loss, some studies have shown more weight loss benefit from vigorous exercise.; HIIT may also elevate metabolism hours after exercise.
A 2008 study found that women who did HIIT exercise three times a week lost more body fat than women who did moderate exercise for the same amount of time.
A 2005 study found that people who did high intensity exercise had significant change in cholesterol levels, but the moderate intensity exercisers did not.; This suggests high intensity exercise may have more benefit for cardiovascular health.
HIIT is becoming more popular with some gyms devoted entirely to designing exercise classes around this type of training.; Some people may do better with higher intensity, shorter duration exercise plans.
You May Like: How Do You Calculate Heart Rate
Is Resting Heart Rate Different By Age
For most of us , between 60 and 100 beats per minute is normal.1 The rate can be affected by factors like stress, anxiety, hormones, medication, and how physically active you are. An athlete or more active person may have a resting heart rate as low as 40 beats per minute. Now thats chill!
When it comes to resting heart rate, lower is better. It usually means your heart muscle is in better condition and doesnt have to work as hard to maintain a steady beat. Studies have found that a higher resting heart rate is linked with lower physical fitness and higher blood pressure and body weight.2
How Other Factors Affect Heart Rate
- Air temperature: When temperatures soar, the heart pumps a little more blood, so your pulse rate may increase, but usually no more than five to 10 beats a minute.
- Body position: Resting, sitting or standing, your pulse is usually the same. Sometimes as you stand for the first 15 to 20 seconds, your pulse may go up a little bit, but after a couple of minutes it should settle down.
- Emotions: If youre stressed, anxious or extraordinarily happy or sad your emotions can raise your pulse.;
- Body size: Body size usually doesnt change pulse. If youre very obese, you might see a higher resting pulse than normal, but usually not more than 100.;
- Medication use: Meds that block your adrenaline tend to slow your pulse, while too much;thyroid medication or too high of a dosage will raise it.
You May Like: Why Does Your Heart Rate Go Up When You Exercise
Target Heart Rate And Estimated Maximum Heart Rate
One way of checking physical activity intensity is to determine whether your pulse or heart rate is within the target zone during physical activity.1
For moderate-intensity physical activity, your target heart rate should be between 64% and 76%1,2 of your maximum heart rate. You can estimate your maximum heart rate based on your age. To estimate your maximum age-related heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, for a 50-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220 50 years = 170 beats per minute . The 64% and 76% levels would be:
- 64% level: 170 x 0.64 = 109 bpm, and
- 76% level: 170 x 0.76 = 129 bpm
This shows that moderate-intensity physical activity for a 50-year-old person will require that the heart rate remains between 109 and 129 bpm during physical activity.
For vigorous-intensity physical activity, your target heart rate should be between 77% and 93%1,2 of your maximum heart rate. To figure out this range, follow the same formula used above, except change 64 and 76% to 77 and 93%. For example, for a 35-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220 35 years = 185 beats per minute . The 77% and 93% levels would be:
- 77% level: 185 x 0.77 = 142 bpm, and
- 93% level: 185 x 0.93 = 172 bpm