I. Heart rate is the frequency of heartbeats. Generally, people's heart rates range between 60-120, but during exercise or stress, the heartbeat can increase.
Many athletes have slower heart rates than the average person—only around 40-50 beats per minute—due to long-term training. So if you want a slower heart rate, you should strengthen your heart’s workload through exercise.
II. Heart Rate Predicts Lifespan
The lifespans of animals vary greatly—some are as fleeting as a mayfly, others as long-lived as the mountains. Behind these vastly different life cycles, researchers have found that their hearts beat approximately 800 million times.
The animal kingdom’s “longevity champion”—the tortoise—can live over 500 years, with a heart rate as low as 10 beats per minute. On the other hand, a certain type of small mouse has an extremely fast heart rate of up to 1,200 beats per minute and only lives for a little over a year. Studies show that all animals follow this rule: the faster the heart rate, the shorter the lifespan.
Humans, as the most intelligent beings, are no exception, although our civilized lifestyles allow our hearts to beat many times more than 800 million. Life scientists say that the secret to longevity is to keep your heart beating as calmly as possible.
III. Heart Rate Indicates the Risk of Heart Disease
For humans, although a resting heart rate between 60–90 beats per minute is considered normal, the optimal heart rate is around 70 beats per minute. A study of 34,000 people showed that those with a heart rate 12 beats per minute faster than normal had a 27% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease. This suggests that we shouldn’t ignore the speed of our heart rate.
IV. Heart Rate Indicates the Prognosis of Heart Disease
Whether a heart disease patient faces life-threatening risks within a year can be predicted independently by the speed and variability of their heart rate. If a patient’s heart rate remains consistently above normal, or if the difference between their fastest and slowest heart rates is minimal, the likelihood of death within a year is quite high. This indicates that treatments aimed at stabilizing and slowing the heart rate are directly related to the patient’s survival.
V. Heart Rate Indicates Whether Exercise Intensity Is Appropriate
The intensity of exercise is mainly measured by heart rate. For instance, during effective and safe aerobic exercise, a person’s heart rate should be 170 minus their age, or maintained between 108 and 144 beats per minute.
VI. Heart Rate Is an Indicator of Overwork
Whether a person’s labor or exercise leads to excessive fatigue can be judged by their heart rate the next morning. If the heart rate is more than 5 beats per minute faster than the previous day, it may indicate overfatigue, and adjustments to the exercise or workload are needed.
VII. Heart Rate Reflects the Effectiveness of Exercise and Fitness
Morning heart rate can also tell you whether your exercise routine is effective. If your heart rate slows down by more than 5 beats per minute after a period of exercise, it means it’s working. Experts have found that consistently exercising for about three months can lower your heart rate by 4–5 beats per minute.
VIII. Related Link: Several Ways to Lower Your Heart Rate
1. Stick to exercise. The reason exercise contributes to longevity is partly because it slows down your heart rate. If your average heart rate is reduced by 5 beats per minute, over an average lifespan of 70 years, you could “save” around 550 million heartbeats, leading to a considerable extension of life.
2. Eat a balanced diet. Eating smaller portions or maintaining a light diet can slow your heart rate by 2–3 beats per minute in the 2–3 hours after meals compared to after a heavy meal. These small effects accumulate over time.
3. Control your weight. Obesity and being overweight can increase heart rate. Effective weight loss reduces adrenaline secretion and slows down your heart rate.
4. Manage your mental state. Developing strong mental resilience, maintaining a broad and peaceful mindset, and treating others kindly can reduce sympathetic nervous system excitement and slow your heart rate. “A kind-hearted person lives longer” is a classic example proving the effectiveness of this approach.
5. Take medication. For certain conditions such as heart disease that cause an increased heart rate, new beta-blockers like carvedilol can slow the heart rate safely. For some people whose morning heart rate increases, verapamil can reduce it by 3–8 beats per minute.
IX. Causes of Rapid Heart Rate
There are many causes of a rapid heartbeat, such as after exercise, drinking coffee, smoking heavily, drinking alcohol, or emotional excitement. Other causes include arrhythmia, thyroid issues, and myocardial ischemia. If your heart rate is only around 120 beats per minute, rest for two days—if it doesn’t return to normal, it’s advisable to see a doctor.
10. What is a Normal Heart Rate Per Minute?
For adults, the heart beats about 70 to 80 times per minute, but a rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute is considered normal. The heart beats faster during physical activity than at rest, faster in women than in men, and faster in children than in adults. A newborn’s heart can beat up to 150 times per minute. On average, if a person lives to be 100 years old, their heart will have beaten approximately 4 billion times.
Normally, if an adult’s resting heart rate exceeds 100 beats per minute, it is medically referred to as “tachycardia”; if it is less than 60 beats per minute, it is called “bradycardia.” Some people may also experience irregular heartbeats that are sometimes fast, sometimes slow, or even intermittent. All of these fall within the range of abnormal heart rhythms.
The purpose of an increased heart rate is to deliver more blood to meet the body’s needs during labor, exercise, or special circumstances. If the heart beats too slowly and blood supply is insufficient, the body won’t get the necessary oxygen and nutrients, which can hinder normal functioning and may even lead to more serious consequences.
Physiologists have found that people who engage in heavy physical labor or intense sports over the long term develop stronger hearts, resulting in significantly fewer heartbeats compared to the average person. For example, a current Chinese football player has a resting heart rate of just 37 beats per minute; at the 1928 Olympics, an athlete was recorded with a heart rate of only 28 beats per minute. It turns out that those with better-trained hearts have thicker cardiac muscle fibers, thicker ventricular walls, and enlarged hearts overall. After a former world marathon champion from the UK passed away from cancer at the age of 70, doctors discovered that his heart weighed about 30% more than a normal heart, and his coronary arteries were about twice as thick. Such a heart naturally contracts with great force, pumping significantly more blood with each beat than an average person’s. Therefore, although the heart beats fewer times, the greater volume of blood per beat meets the body’s normal needs.
11. The Simplest Way to Calculate Heart Rate:
1. Maximum Heart Rate = 220 - Age
For women, you can add 4
For example, the maximum heart rate for a 30-year-old male is 190
2. Reserve Heart Rate Calculation:
Maximum Heart Rate = 220 - Age
Reserve Heart Rate = (Maximum Heart Rate - Resting Heart Rate)
The resting heart rate is measured when you are still in the morning, for example, 60
So, the reserve heart rate for a 30-year-old male is 130
3. General Heart Rate Formula:
Maximum Heart Rate:
Men: 210 - (Age / 2) - (0.11 * Body Weight in kg) - 4
Women: 210 - (Age / 2) - (0.11 * Body Weight in kg)
12. Heart Rate and Cycling
According to sports medicine research, there is a direct correlation between heart rate and fat burning during aerobic exercise. First, calculate your own maximum heart rate using a simple formula (220 - Age); another formula for those in good physical condition is 205 - (½ × Age). The two formulas are quite similar. During exercise, heart rate zones are divided as follows:
50%–60% of Maximum Heart Rate: Recovery Zone, suitable for recovery exercise after long periods without activity; 60%–70% of Maximum Heart Rate: Effective Fat-Burning Zone, where body fat is effectively burned; 70%–80% of Maximum Heart Rate: Aerobic Zone, which increases aerobic endurance—this is the zone where cyclists and track athletes typically train.
80%–90% of Maximum Heart Rate: Anaerobic Zone, where anaerobic activity occurs, leading to significant lactic acid buildup and high carbohydrate consumption. During competitions, our heart rate often operates in this zone. 90%–100% of Maximum Heart Rate: Extreme Zone, which is generally not advisable for regular training. Excessive lactic acid and high heart rates are harmful to the body. This zone is not recommended for most exercisers and is suitable only for trained athletes who have undergone at least six weeks of training. Note: For some individuals, such as those with heart disease or high blood pressure, this zone is very dangerous and is sometimes referred to as the red zone.