What is a Healthy Heart Rate?
When you hear people refer to your heart rate, they are actually talking about the rate in which your heart beats. This is usually measured in beats per minute, more commonly known as bpm. While the heart rate can vary greatly from person to person, based on a number of different factors, such as age, sex, health, genetics and fitness, there is a range of beats per minute that is considered to be healthy.
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Healthy Heart Rate
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For anyone looking to achieve a healthy heart rate, you are essentially talking about your heart rate at rest, which is the rate in which your heart beats when not engaged in any sort of physical activity. For most adults, this range is anywhere between 60 and 80 beats per minute. As you become more physically fit, your heart rate will ultimately begin to drop, coming within the range of 40 to 60 beats per minute. To ensure you know exactly where your heart rate should fall, consult your family physician.
Measuring Heart Rate
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One of the most effective ways in which you can check whether or not your heart rate falls within this healthy range is to measure it yourself. This should be done before your feet ever hit the floor, so, as soon as you wake up in the morning, check your pulse. Two fingers placed on the artery near your esophagus is probably the easiest location, but you can also check your heart rate by positioning your thumb over the underside of your wrist. Once your fingers (or thumb) are in place, simply count the number of beats your heart takes over the course of a minute.
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Fitness
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If you're looking to improve your heart rate, there are things that you'll need to do, most of which involve your lifestyle (though suffering from an underlying health condition can also contribute to an increase in your heart rate). One of the most effective is probably exercise. Since you heart is a muscle, you should work it out just like any other muscle of your body. Aerobic activities like walking, biking, running or swimming can all help to improve your heart rate, but you may also want to consider getting involved with a competitive sport as well, such as tennis, basketball or soccer.
Diet
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When trying to improve your resting heart rate, it is also fairly important to watch what you eat in terms of fat, sodium and cholesterol, so limit the amount of animal products and salt used to make your meals. From there, try to incorporate more nutritious foods into your eating regimen, including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as these products contain vitamins and minerals essential for heart health.
Target Heart Rate
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As you incorporate more and more athletic pursuits into your daily routine, you want to try to achieve a target heart rate, which is the healthy rate in which your heart beats while engaged in a physical activity. To establish your target heart rate, you must first figure out your "maximum" heart rate. Simply subtract your age from 220. Once you arrive on this number, multiply it by 50 to 85 percent to determine the healthy zone of your target heart rate. To improve your heart rate or sustain an already healthy heart rate, this is the beats per minute you want to achieve when exercising.
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