[LisaF]

For a long time, my resting heart rate has been over 100 beats per minute. Not good, I know. One of my goals for getting healthy is to bring that down into the normal range. I know that doing getting in shape and doing cardio will help bring it down. What else will help this?

I'd also love to know from those who've been in a similar situation, how long did it take before your heart rate started adjusting downward?

Lisa

[RealCdn]

My resting used to be skirting the 100 range. The only way I know to bring it down is regular exercise. I use a treadmill daily and it was just over 100 on January 7th when I started. Today it was 82, but last week (on a day I didn't bother noting) it was mid-70s.

I walk, at a fairly low speed (2mph), but with some incline as well. That, at the moment, raises my heart rate well enough. I suspect if I don't keep up the exercise, the resting rate will go back up.

I meant to add that if your resting heart rate has been lower and has simply gone up, this is definitely something you should see a doctor about. A few years ago my resting rate was 60-70 and even though exercising 5 days a week seemed to slowly go up. It was a sign of something serious (fluid in my pleural cavity), that I had missed early signs of.

[Yellofly]

Just curious, my resting heart rate has been between 107-115 beats per minute for as long as I can remember. What causes someone to have a higher heart rate?

Thanks for any info you can provide.

-Yello.

[jordan]

Exercising is obviously best, but my experience is that just losing weight through diet also helps a ton. My resting heart rate was just over 80 when I was at my heaviest. I dropped a lot of weight initially without really exercising at all and my heart rate dropped to a very healthy 60ish. Then once I added some serious cardio it dropped significantly more (about 48 now), but really, just dropping some weight whether you use exercise or diet alone should help significantly.
Also keep in mind I think heart rate is partially genetically predetermined. Some people just have faster hearts and can be very healthy at a rate that would be unhealthy for someone like myself who is predesposed to a slower heart rate.

[GirlyGirlSebas]

Hi Lisa.

Once I start doing daily cardio exercise, I notice my heart rate improving almost immediately. I'm not sure if there is any other way to lower your heart rate other than exercising your heart = cardio. You might want to post your question over in the exercise forum. There are a couple of fitness trainers on there who will have better answers for you.

[JayEll]

Yes, post over on the Exercise forum... but I just wanted to add that the combination of losing weight AND getting fit (exercise) often lowers heart rate. It takes a lot of effort on the part of the heart to move a larger body around--just walking, for example. So becoming smaller helps. Exercise also increases the circulation efficiency, and that means the heart doesn't have to work as hard as well.

My resting heart rate at my high weight was typically just below 80. Now it is 65.

Jay

[dgramie]

How is your blood pressure? As my blood pressure went up so did my heart rate. Now im on blood pressure meds and my heart rate has dropped from being in the upper 90s to about 60. If it gets in the lower 50 I feel funny. My blood pressure med is known for dropping heart rate. Now that im dieting and exercising im hoping to someday go off blood pressure med. Be sure and check out your blood pressure from time to time also.

[denialisnthappiness]

I think I'm just an oddity in the fact that when I was at school I can remember doing the 'step fitness' type tests and although the fattest I would always have the lowest heart rate before/during/after etc.

Can't remember what my heart rate was when I started but my resting heart rate today was 45