You’re sitting on the couch, maybe scrolling through your phone, and you feel that familiar pulse in your wrist or see a number flash on your smartwatch. 69. It’s a specific number. Not quite 60, nowhere near 100. You start wondering: is a resting heart rate of 69 good, or should I be doing more cardio?
Honestly, it’s a great number.
Most doctors, including those at the American Heart Association, will tell you that a "normal" resting heart rate (RHR) for an adult falls anywhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute (BPM). If you are sitting at 69, you are safely tucked into the lower third of that range. That is generally a sign of a heart that doesn't have to work overtime just to keep the lights on. Your heart is a pump. If it can move blood through your entire body while only squeezing 69 times every sixty seconds, it’s relatively efficient.
But "normal" is a tricky word in medicine. What’s normal for a 50-year-old accountant might be high for a marathon runner. Conversely, what’s normal for a caffeinated college student might be different than for someone on beta-blockers.
The truth about is a resting heart rate of 69 good for your longevity
When we look at long-term health outcomes, having a resting heart rate in the 60s is actually a bit of a "sweet spot." There was a massive study published in the journal Open Heart that followed middle-aged men for decades. The researchers found that men with a resting heart rate of 75 or higher had a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with lower rates.
By being at 69, you’re staying away from that 75+ danger zone.
Think of your heart like a car engine. An engine that idles at a lower RPM tends to last longer than one that’s constantly revving high just to stay running. If your heart beats 69 times a minute, that’s about 99,360 times a day. If your neighbor’s heart beats at 85 BPM, their heart is working through an extra 23,000 beats every single day. Over a year, that is millions of extra contractions. That adds up. Wear and tear is real, even for biological tissue.
✨ Don't miss: Why Sometimes You Just Need a Hug: The Real Science of Physical Touch
Why 69 might be "perfect" for you (but high for an athlete)
Fitness levels change the context of the number 69 completely. If you are a sedentary person and your heart rate is 69, you're doing better than average. Your heart muscle is likely strong enough to eject a decent volume of blood with every stroke—what we call "stroke volume."
However, if you are training for an Ironman or you spend twelve hours a week on a road bike, a RHR of 69 might actually be a signal of something else. Elite athletes often have resting heart rates in the 40s or 50s. If a pro cyclist suddenly sees their morning RHR jump from 48 to 69, it's a massive red flag. It usually means they are overtraining, getting sick, or dealing with extreme systemic stress.
For the rest of us? 69 is solid. It’s a "B+" or an "A-" on the health report card.
Factors that nudge that number up or down
Your heart rate isn't static. It's a living, breathing metric that reacts to your environment. You might see 69 one morning and 74 the next. That doesn't mean your heart health plummeted overnight.
- Hydration levels: When you’re dehydrated, your blood volume drops. Your heart has to beat faster to maintain blood pressure. If you had a few glasses of wine last night, don't be surprised if your 69 jumps to 75.
- Stress and the Nervous System: Your autonomic nervous system is the conductor. If you’re worried about a presentation, your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) takes the wheel. It kicks the heart rate up.
- Temperature: If your bedroom is too hot, your heart works harder to pump blood to the skin for cooling.
- Digestion: Ever notice your heart racing after a massive Thanksgiving dinner? It’s called "postprandial tachycardia." Your body is diverting huge amounts of blood to your gut to process that turkey.
Is a resting heart rate of 69 good compared to the "elite" 50s?
There is a bit of an obsession lately with getting the lowest heart rate possible. People see 45 BPM on their Oura ring or Apple Watch and wear it like a badge of honor. But lower isn't always better. There is a condition called bradycardia where the heart rate is so low (usually under 60) that the person feels dizzy, tired, or faint.
If your heart rate is 69, you are likely avoiding the risks of both extremes. You aren't in the "tachycardia" zone (over 100), which strains the heart, and you aren't so low that you're risking fainting spells.
🔗 Read more: Can I overdose on vitamin d? The reality of supplement toxicity
Interestingly, some research suggests that while very fit people have low heart rates, the correlation between "ultra-low RHR" and "longest life" isn't a straight line. It’s more of a U-shaped curve. Staying in that 60 to 70 range is often associated with the fewest cardiovascular complications in the general population.
The role of age and gender
We have to talk about biology. Women generally have slightly smaller hearts than men. Because a smaller heart pumps less blood per beat, it has to beat a bit faster to achieve the same cardiac output. So, for a woman, a resting heart rate of 69 is exceptionally good. For a man, it’s still very good, just perhaps closer to the median.
As we age, our heart's maximum capacity drops, but the resting rate often stays relatively stable—unless we develop underlying conditions. If you've been a 69-BPM person your whole life and you're now 70 years old, you're in fantastic shape.
What should you actually worry about?
The number 69 itself is rarely the problem. The problem is trends.
If you want to know if is a resting heart rate of 69 good for your specific body, you need to look at your "baseline." You should measure your RHR first thing in the morning, before you even get out of bed. Don't check it after you've walked to the kitchen. Don't check it after your first cup of coffee.
Check it while you're still half-asleep.
💡 You might also like: What Does DM Mean in a Cough Syrup: The Truth About Dextromethorphan
If your baseline is usually 62 and you see it's been 69 for three days straight, ask yourself what changed. Are you fighting off a cold? Are you sleeping poorly? Did you start a new medication? Medications like asthma inhalers or even some decongestants can send your heart rate north.
When 69 isn't the whole story: Palpitations and Rhythm
A heart rate can be "69" but be irregular. This is what we call an arrhythmia. You could have a "good" average number, but if the beats aren't evenly spaced, that's something to discuss with a doctor. Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) is a condition where the top chambers of the heart quiver instead of pumping. Sometimes the average rate looks normal, but the rhythm is chaotic.
If you feel "skipped beats" or a "flopping fish" sensation in your chest, the number 69 doesn't matter. The rhythm does.
How to maintain or improve that 69 BPM
Maybe you're at 69 and you want to see if you can hit 62. Or maybe you're worried your 69 is creeping up toward 75.
- Zone 2 Cardio: This is the magic pill. Walking at a brisk pace where you can still hold a conversation, but you're definitely working. This strengthens the heart muscle, allowing it to pump more blood per beat.
- Magnesium and Potassium: These electrolytes are the "electricity" for your heart. If you're deficient, your heart can become "irritable" and beat faster or irregularly.
- Sleep Hygiene: If you stop breathing momentarily during the night (sleep apnea), your heart rate will spikes to compensate for the lack of oxygen. This ruins your resting average.
- Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Deep, diaphragmatic breathing. Exhaling longer than you inhale. This flips the switch from "stressed" to "rest and digest," naturally lowering the pulse.
Actionable insights for your heart health
Don't just stare at the number. Context is everything. If you see 69 and you feel energetic, clear-headed, and capable of exercise, you are doing great.
Here is what you should do next:
- Track the trend, not the moment: Use a wearable or a manual pulse check for seven days straight, every morning. Average those numbers. That is your true RHR.
- Observe the "Recovery" rate: After you climb a flight of stairs, how long does it take for your heart rate to return to 69? A fast recovery is a much better indicator of heart health than the resting number alone.
- Check your blood pressure: A heart rate of 69 is great, but if your blood pressure is 150/90, the heart is still under immense pressure. The two numbers together give the full picture.
- Listen to your body: If 69 is accompanied by shortness of breath or chest tightness, ignore the "good" number and call a professional.
Ultimately, 69 is a sign of a well-functioning cardiovascular system for the vast majority of the population. It suggests you aren't overly stressed, your heart is relatively strong, and you aren't in immediate metabolic distress. Keep doing what you're doing, keep moving, and don't let "perfection" (like trying to hit 50 BPM) get in the way of "very good."