Declining Resting Heart Rate

[lukedga]

I've read lowering your resting heart rate can be a good indication of improved fitness. I just wondered how quickly people started noticing a dip in their own. I received a FitBit this past Christmas and my resting heart rate has decreased several points since then. Specifically, after this past week of really ramping up activity, it has dropped from 64 bpm to 59. I've seen it get as low as 49 when sitting still.

I was running long distances before a leg injury and am working my way back to that level of fitness. I wasn't keeping tabs on my heart rate back then, so I'm not sure how to draw any conclusions from my decline/improvement now. I realize a wrist-mounted fitness tracker isn't a failsafe way to keep tabs on heart rate, but a decline is a decline.

Any other similar experiences?

[Woodywood]

Hi,

I've found mine over time seems to have a 10 point movement...if I exercise and eat well and sleep it trends down. The minute I drink or have some stressful day or miss the gym it rises quite quickly. Great work on your no's!!!

Sent from my iPhone

[Spinflow]

---

@Jasn wrote:

I realize this is an older post, but wanted to share my results.  I have been curious if this is typical.

I bought my FitBit Charge 2 almost a week ago and at the same time began going to the gym and running on the treadmill.  

My resting heart rate history over this week has been - 64, 58, 53, 53, 52, 52.  It started at 64 BPM and is now 52 BPM.  I am a 43 year old male.  Should I see this improvement, this quickly?  I do realize for my age, 64 BPM is still good.

Thank you for any response.

---

now its nearly june how's your rate doing? 

[Dominique]

---

@Spinflow wrote:

---

@Jasn wrote:

My resting heart rate history over this week has been - 64, 58, 53, 53, 52, 52.  It started at 64 BPM and is now 52 BPM.  I am a 43 year old male.  Should I see this improvement, this quickly?  I do realize for my age, 64 BPM is still good.

Thank you for any response.

---

now its nearly june how's your rate doing? 

---

It would indeed be interesting to know. You can’t really tell much based on a "history" of one week, and I don’t think a drop from 64 to 52 in a week’s time can realistically be explained by an improvement in cardio fitness. As to 64 bpm being good "for his age": there is no good or poor RHR value in absolute terms for anyone’s age. It’s not like RHR is "worsening" (i.e. increasing) all the time as you age. It’s rather peak HR that is decreasing with age, but less so for fitter individuals. 

[SunsetRunner]

Might be me, but my resting heart rate has always been low, now it could well be that despite my body being overweighht/obese that my heart has stayed healthy

but I think that checking the heart rate during exercise or just after is a better indication of how healthy the heart is

i.e. if after say a 10 minute jog your heart rate is about the same, it is healthier than if it was beating like mad, if that makes sense

[DanielleinDC]

When I first got my Alta HR at the beginning of April, my average resting HR was 84 bpm. It's now 70 bpm. But I had an Alta without heart rate tracking before I got this so I don't get why I'm seeing the change now. I've also noticed my cardio fitness score creeping up, although I've always seen it as average to good for a woman my age.

[Mali101]

This happened to me as well. I bought my Charge 2 about a week ago and it said my resting heart rate was about 100-105 (granted I was under a great deal of stress, I'm also very overweight). But I've been doing moderate exercise the past week and have also lost a few pounds, and now I've seen my resting heart rate around 90-95. 

[Bons84]

Generally I know a declining resting heart rate is only a good change,but I'm feeling a little concerned as I got my Fitbit charge 2 in March my resting hr was in the low 80's high 70's I have been walking lots and swimming a few times a week,changed some of my diet,drinking lots of water,hr has gradually declined to low 70's,late 60's,I saw this as a really good thing,over these last few days it has declined rapidly down to 60 and it's been a bit of a lazy week so no extra exercise only less,anyone else had it decline quickly??

[e120265]

---

@Woodywood wrote:
It's fascinating to watch mine has gone from 70 to 54 in 2 weeks after a change in diet... Bizarre

---

@Woodywood ,  can you elaborate on this change in diet? Was it about excluding gluten? Or animal protein/fats? I am, too, observing a very strong effect of diet on my RHR and would like to know your experience. Thanks! 

[Woodywood]

Hi,


It was definitely a reduction in carbs overall, I was eating mainly lean protein and vegetable with 1 - 2 serves of carbs a day.


🙂


Sent from Outlook

[jamminvar2007]

Good Morning,

I can tell you that I bought my first FitBit about three years ago, and I noticed that my resting heart race had greatly reduced maybe within the first two or three weeks. I am morbidly obese, and after sitting on my behind all summer eating (I am a teacher), I decided to get active again. I was weight 535lbs! I am now right at 400lbs. My heart rate has gone from 76bpm resting to 54 bpm resting. So, yeah, you are KILLING it. Keep it up! By the way, my goal is weight is 230lbs! 

[jamminvar2007]

Yes ma'am. Congratulations on your blood pressure. I have been completely removed from mine! Going to the gym every morning before work (ARGH!) has reshaped my life. My pressure is steady around 121/66. Fitbits are a Godsend! 

[Woodywood]

That’s AWESOME!!! Keep kicking goals 😀

[R1234]

Yes mine has dropped down to 54 -57 use to be in the 60's/70's has me a bit worried. Because I feel dizzy sometimes. I'm 67 

[Woodywood]

Make sure you get checked out by a doctor - can never be too careful. You could have low blood pressure 🙂

[Sqats4life1108]

That is awesome dude! Mine was 86 when I first got my charge 2 back in May. I continued to do HIIT style workouts and began running 1 mile per day. At this time I was smoking about a pack a day. Gradually, it dropped to mid 70s and sometimes even high 60s. I am happy to report that after 6 days of Chantix and only 1/2 cigarette today, it is now at 60 and as low as 52 when sitting still. I run at least 3-6 miles each day 5-6 days a week and am really excited to see how much better it gets! Thanks for sharing your story! 

[Sqats4life1108]

A woman’s cycle can cause dips and dives in heart rate. It is usually higher during ovulation and then dips quite low when a woman is on her period. Hope you are OK! 

[Colinm39]

@R1234Welcome to the Forums... Congratulations on the improvement in your RHR...

If you feel dizzy because of the lower RHR should should get your GP to check.. I posted in this topic yesterday, because as we age, some of us can suffer side effects if our RHR is under 60..

---

@R1234 wrote:

Yes mine has dropped down to 54 -57 use to be in the 60's/70's has me a bit worried. Because I feel dizzy sometimes. I'm 67 

---

[EdGrve]

I've found that rapid changes in my resting heart rate correlates mainly with the level of calorie deficit, or surplus, I'm running and in particular (it seems) glycogen levels.   If I'm heavily depleted, my resting HR is significantly down.  If I bump up intake enough (while still at a deficit) for glycogen to restore a little, HR will go up a beat or two near immediately.  If I fall off the diet, resting HR rises far faster than any weight gain (aside from the immediate initial bump from glycogen/water replenishment).   At the start of a diet, resting HR falls far faster than mere weight loss would account for.   Resting HR movement is, for me, pretty much the most reliable way to double-check if I'm actually meeting my deficit targets.  My simple layperson theory is that with too many calories, heart rate rises as an immediate attempt to burn off some of the energy, - too little calories, the reverse happens.

[YesIAmSassy]

I have always had low vital signs. BP was always 100/70 or lower, resting HR has always been in mid 60's and my normal temp is 97.7

I started having palpitations after a stroke in 1986 (difficult pregnancy, preclampsia, emergency c-section, loss of a lot of blood) So i now have A-Fib....

I am NOT an athlete. about 2 years ago i took to walking 60 min a day 5 days a week at 5 MPH...it was great and i lost like 45 lbs in a year. RHR still managed to hover around 63-65 bpm. Awesome, right? 

Now i am undergoing a life changing extremely stressful event (it's so bad i get physically ill sometimes)...So you'd think, especially when anxiety would strike my RHR would go up. My RHR has dropped. I dropped a whole 12 points on average BUT if i am just walking around my apartment like dishes or dusting, HR jumps into 80, 90 and sometimes even over 110...for doing absolutely NOTHING-just talking raises it to 90. If i am reading or watching TV, BOOM-back to 50-55 BPM. I drink cafeine (small to moderate daily) and have been known to vape a little now and then (Since my RHR has dropped) and at sitting still-my RHR still wont climb over 64 and stay for more than a few beats.

My heart has taken to dropping even lower...i am now regularly dipping in to the mid 40s on a regular basis. 

Other than my palpitations, and some dizziness or nausea if i get up to quick (literally my heart like going from 55 mph to 90 in 2 seconds) no real explanation or symptoms. Extremely low RHR in a non-athletic person is not something to rush to the ER over but it is most definitely a sign something has changed and it may NOT be a good thing.

Getting a full stress test, echo on heart and also having my corotid checked. Even healthy athletic folks with extremely low RHR can start running the risk of clots. Your heart has to be able to keep your blood from pooling...dont care who you are, if your heart is not moving the blood throughout your body in a timely manner that can happen. Get Checked out thoroughly on a regular basis

[YesIAmSassy]

*PS i am lucky if i get an hour or an hour and a half of actual exercise in a week now. I work 4 -12 hour shifts a week sitting (so RHR should start going up just from being not as in shape). Caffeine intake has increased a little and i am getting less sleep due to stress.....but nooooooo..my rhr wants to keep getting lower...to the point if has gotten to 45 bpm chiling out watching TV or laying down reading