The connection between resting heart rate and physical health
Healthy range for typical adult is between 60 and 100 beats per minute
IN THE NEWS: For the typical adult, a healthy resting heart rate is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
The lower on the scale, the better, since it’s a sign of a healthy ticker, says UCI Health cardiologist Dr. Brian Becerra tells Everyday Health. Professional athletes can have a resting heart rate of 40 bpm.
“The stronger [the heart] is, the lower the heart rate needs to be in order to achieve the same amount of blood flow.”
When exercising, Becerra suggests tracking your heart rate to monitor intensity. Most people should exercise between 50% and 85% of their maximum, which can be estimated by subtracting your age from 220.
“If you start to feel dizzy or exhausted at a lower number, then you probably have a lower MHR than what is predicted [by the calculation].”
Conversely, if you feel that you can do more when at the top of your maximum, speak to your physician about raising the number.
Becerra believes in a team approach, collaborating with his patients to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that is individualized to their specific circumstances.
Becerra is a board-certified UCI Health cardiologist who specializes in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of heart disease. His clinical interests include non-invasive cardiovascular imaging and cardiac disease prevention. He also focuses on sports- and exercise-related cardiovascular care. He is also an assistant professor in the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
As a non-invasive cardiologist with expertise in sports cardiology, he is invested in the unique care of athletic heart disease. He helps to treat all patients, from recreational to elite athletes who are in need of care.
Make an appointment at UCI Health Cardiology Services by calling 714-880-7812.
About UCI Health
UCI Health, one of California’s largest academic health systems, is the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine. The 1,461-bed system comprises its main campus UCI Health — Orange, its flagship hospital, the UCI Health — Irvine acute care hospital and medical campus, four hospitals and affiliated physicians of the UCI Health Community Network in Orange and Los Angeles counties and a network of ambulatory care centers across the region. UCI Health — Orange provides tertiary and quaternary care and is home to the only Orange County-based National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center, gold level 1 geriatric emergency department and regional burn center. Powered by UC Irvine, UCI Health serves 5.6 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).