What is Resting Heart Rate (RHR)?

Resting Heart Rate (RHR) is the number of times your heart beats per minute when your body is at complete rest — calm, relaxed, and not digesting, exercising, or under stress.
 It’s one of the simplest indicators of your heart’s overall health and how efficiently your body’s cardiovascular system works.

When your heart is strong and conditioned, it doesn’t need to beat as often to maintain steady blood flow.

What’s a normal resting heart rate?

For most adults:

• 60–100 beats per minute (bpm) is considered normal.

• Lower RHR (50–60 bpm) often suggests better cardiovascular fitness — common among athletes and people who exercise regularly.

• Higher RHR (>80 bpm) may be linked to stress, fatigue, dehydration, illness, or low fitness levels.

(American Heart Association, 2023; Harvard Health Publishing, 2022)

What affects resting heart rate?

RHR naturally changes throughout the day and is influenced by:

• Physical fitness — more active people have lower RHR

• Sleep and recovery quality

• Stress and emotional state

• Temperature and environment

• Caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol intake

• Illness, medications, or dehydration

Tracking your RHR trends helps reveal how your body adapts to lifestyle, stress, and recovery over time.

References

1. American Heart Association (2023). All About Heart Rate (Pulse). Heart.org

2. Harvard Health Publishing (2022). What your heart rate is telling you. Harvard.edu

Palatini, P., & Julius, S. (2004). Heart rate and the cardiovascular risk. Journal of Hypertension, 22(4), 663–672. PubMed

3. Seppälä, S. et al. (2019). Resting heart rate and heart rate variability as indicators of cardiac health: A review. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, 531. PMC