You may have heard a lower resting heart rate is a good sign of health, but why? You may even be wondering how to lower your heart rate. Here’s everything you need to know about a lower resting heart rate and how to lower your resting heart rate.

Lower resting heart rate

What exactly is a lower resting rate heart? Well, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), a resting heart rate (RHR) is also known as a pulse and is the number of times the heart muscle contracts per minute while the body is at rest.

Resting heart rate ranges can vary dramatically depending on age, fitness level, gender, health status, and size of the individual. “Generally speaking, a resting heart rate for most of the population is between 60 and 100 beats per minute,” according to the NASM. “However, the body will increase its heart rate in response to exercise or physical activity and will lower its heart rate during deep sleep.”

Men average approximately five to 10 fewer beats per minute than women, which is due to the smaller heart chambers and lower volumes of circulating blood in women. 

Some well-conditioned athletes who participate in endurance training or yoga may have a slower-than-normal resting heart rate (40-60 beats per minute) as a result of those activities improving the heart’s ability to pump blood.

The importance of a lower resting heart rate

Your heart rate is a valid indicator of work intensity or stress, both at rest and during exercise. Monitoring changes in RHR helps to identify cardiovascular adaptations (becoming more aerobically fit) or regressions (deconditioning), notes NASM.

“Resting heart rate lowers with improved fitness levels because the heart and lungs become more conditioned,” according to the NASM. “When this occurs, the heart becomes stronger and can pump out more blood with each beat. This causes more oxygen and nutrients to be transported throughout the body.” Conversely, when a person’s fitness level decreases, or they become ill, the RHR may elevate.

There are many anatomical locations to measure your RHR, but for accuracy, ease, and safety, the radial pulse is best. (Your radial pulse is in your wrist.) For the most accurate reading, you’ll want to measure just before getting out of bed in the morning. Simply place two fingers over your pulse point, count the number of beats in 15 seconds, then multiply it by four. Hello, resting heart rate.

How to lower your resting heart rate

If you’re wondering how to lower your heart rate, here are a few tips:

• Avoid tobacco products. According to Harvard Health, smokers have higher resting heart rates, while quitting tobacco products can lower resting heart rates.
• Drink less alcohol. “One of the best ways to raise your resting heart rate is to drink alcohol,” notes Caroline Grainger, ISSA-certified personal trainer at Fitness Trainer. “A night of heavy drinking will cause higher resting heart rates for days after the fact, and chronic drinking can lead to chronic high heart rate.”
• Exercise more. Exercising every day can gradually lower your resting heart rate, especially when engaging in regularly sustained aerobic exercise. “Regular, sustained aerobic exercise is the best way to achieve a lower resting heart rate,” says Grainger. “Cycling, running, and swimming are good options here, but even long walks at a brisk pace will do the trick as will playing sports like basketball, soccer, or ultimate frisbee at a high level.”
• Reduce stress. Activating relaxation responses can help to lower your resting heart rate over time.

The bottom line

A lower resting heart rate can indicate good health. If you’re looking for answers on how to lower your resting heart rate, there are a few things you can do to get a lower resting heart rate and improve your overall health.