You’re sitting on the couch, maybe scrolling through your phone, and you feel that little thump in your chest. You check your Apple Watch or your Garmin, and there it is: a number. Maybe it’s 72. Maybe it’s 58. Most of us just glance at it and move on, but if you’ve ever wondered what’s a good resting heart rate, you’ve probably seen the standard medical answer of 60 to 100 beats per minute.
Honestly? That range is massive. It’s like saying a "normal" height for an adult is anywhere between five feet and seven feet tall. Technically true, but not exactly helpful for your specific body.
Your resting heart rate (RHR) is basically a snapshot of your heart muscle efficiency and your nervous system's current state of "chill." If your heart is strong, it pumps more blood with every single squeeze. That means it doesn't have to beat as often. If you're stressed, sick, or dehydrated, that number climbs. It’s a silent metric that tells a much louder story than your blood pressure or even your weight might on a given day.
The 60 to 100 Myth and Why It Persists
Doctors use the 60–100 range because it’s a safe baseline to catch major pathologies. If you’re at 110 while sitting still, that’s tachycardia. If you’re at 35 and fainting, that’s bradycardia. but for the rest of us living in the middle, the "ideal" is usually much lower than the top end of that bracket.
Recent research, including large-scale data from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, suggests that people with a resting heart rate consistently above 80 might actually face higher long-term risks for cardiovascular issues compared to those in the 50s and 60s. It’s a bit of a wake-up call. We've been told 90 is "normal" for decades, but in the context of longevity, it might just be "common" rather than "healthy."
Think of your heart like a car engine. An engine idling at 3,000 RPMs is wearing out a lot faster than one idling at 1,500. Every beat counts. Over a lifetime, the difference between a pulse of 60 and a pulse of 80 is millions of extra beats.
What the pros look like
If you look at elite endurance athletes—think Tour de France cyclists or Olympic marathoners—you’ll find resting heart rates that sound like typos. Miguel Induráin, a five-time Tour de France winner, famously had a resting heart rate of 28 beats per minute. 28! For a regular person, that’s an emergency room visit. For him, it was a sign of a heart so powerful it could move massive amounts of oxygenated blood with almost no effort.
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You don't need to be Induráin. Most active, healthy adults should probably aim for somewhere between 50 and 70. If you’re a "weekend warrior" who hits the gym three times a week and watches your salt intake, seeing a 55 on your watch in the morning is a badge of honor, not a reason to panic.
Factors That Mess With Your Numbers
Your RHR isn't a static number. It's fluid. It reacts to everything.
- Dehydration: When you're low on fluids, your blood volume drops. Your heart has to beat faster to maintain blood pressure. Even a 2% drop in hydration can spike your RHR by 5-10 beats.
- The "Scary Movie" Effect: Stress isn't just in your head. Cortisol and adrenaline tighten blood vessels and kick the heart into gear. If you’re checking your RHR right after a stressful work meeting, it’s going to be "bad."
- Temperature: If it’s 90 degrees out and humid, your heart is working double-time to pump blood to the surface of your skin to cool you down.
- Alcohol: This is the big one people hate to hear. Drinking even one or two glasses of wine in the evening can keep your RHR elevated by 10% or more all through the night. It wrecks your recovery.
The Caffeine Variable
Coffee is a weird one. While it’s a stimulant, regular coffee drinkers often don't see a massive spike in their resting rate because they've built a tolerance. However, if you're sensitive to it, that morning espresso can keep your RHR artificially high for hours. If you’re trying to get a true reading of what’s a good resting heart rate for you, you have to measure it before that first cup of joe.
How to Measure It Like a Scientist
Don't trust a single reading in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon. To get the real data, you need to check it the moment you wake up. Before you get out of bed. Before you check your emails.
- Lie flat on your back.
- Breathe normally.
- Use your index and middle finger on your wrist (radial pulse) or neck (carotid pulse).
- Count the beats for 60 full seconds.
Using a 15-second count and multiplying by four is okay for the gym, but for a true RHR, the full minute captures the subtle variations in your rhythm, known as Sinus Arrhythmia—which is actually a sign of a healthy heart.
Why your wearable might be lying
Wrist-based optical sensors (the green lights on the back of your watch) are great, but they aren't perfect. They measure blood flow via light absorption, which can be thrown off by tattoos, skin tone, or even how tight the strap is. If your watch says your RHR is 85 but you feel totally relaxed, double-check it manually. You might find the tech is just struggling to get a good "lock" on your pulse.
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When Should You Actually Worry?
Is a low heart rate always good? Not necessarily.
There’s a condition called sick sinus syndrome where the heart's natural pacemaker misfires. If your heart rate is consistently below 50 and you feel dizzy, short of breath, or just "foggy," that’s a problem. That is not "athlete heart"; that’s a medical issue.
On the flip side, if your RHR stays above 100 consistently, your heart is under constant strain. This is often linked to underlying issues like anemia, thyroid problems, or chronic inflammation. It’s worth a conversation with a cardiologist. They’ll likely run an EKG just to make sure the "electrical wiring" of your heart is firing in the right order.
Nuance: Age and Gender Differences
We can't talk about what’s a good resting heart rate without acknowledging that biology plays favorites. Women generally have slightly smaller hearts than men. Because the heart is smaller, it has to beat a bit more frequently to move the same volume of blood. A "good" RHR for a woman might be 2-5 beats higher than for a man of the same fitness level.
Age matters too, but maybe not how you think. While our maximum heart rate drops as we get older (the old 220 minus age formula), your resting heart rate shouldn't necessarily climb. In fact, many people find their RHR stays stable or even drops as they age if they maintain their cardiovascular health. A 60-year-old with a 62 RHR is in fantastic shape.
Practical Steps to Lower Your RHR
If you’ve checked your numbers and realized you’re sitting at a 78 and want to get down to the 60s, you can actually train your heart to be more efficient. It’s not just about "doing cardio."
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Focus on Zone 2 Training.
This is the "secret sauce" used by pro athletes. Zone 2 is steady-state exercise where you can still hold a conversation. Think of a brisk walk, a light jog, or an easy bike ride. When you spend 30–40 minutes in this zone, you’re not just burning calories; you’re literally increasing the stroke volume of your heart. You’re making the pump bigger and stronger.
Magnesium and Potassium.
These electrolytes are the "oil" in your heart’s machinery. Most people are deficient in magnesium, which can lead to a "twitchy" heart and a higher RHR. Focus on leafy greens, almonds, and avocados.
Sleep Hygiene.
If you aren't getting into deep sleep, your parasympathetic nervous system (the "rest and digest" side) never fully takes over. This keeps your heart rate elevated even while you’re unconscious. Try to keep your bedroom cool—around 65–68 degrees—to help your core temperature drop, which naturally brings the heart rate down.
The Big Picture
Your heart rate is a story. It’s a daily report card on how you’re treating your body. If you see it creeping up over a few days, you’re probably getting sick or you’re overtrained. If you see it trending down over a few months, your fitness plan is working.
Don't obsess over the 60–100 range. Instead, look for your own "normal." Once you know your baseline, you can spot trouble before it starts.
What to do right now
Start a simple log. For the next seven days, measure your pulse for 60 seconds the second you wake up. Average those seven days. That’s your true resting heart rate. If that average is over 80, it's time to look at your hydration and your "Zone 2" cardio levels. If it's under 60 and you feel great, keep doing exactly what you're doing. You're giving your heart the gift of efficiency.