Lower Heart Rate

[MichaelM05]

Hey all,

So I've noticed recently that my heart rate has been lower than usual.

I first noticed this when I was driving and my HR was 71 which is quite low for me as usually my HR is in the 80s when driving. It was night time and I was tired though (there was also no traffic so that might be why) however since then it has been lower than usual.

In the last 3 days my RHR on the Fitbit app has dropped from 68-65 bpm.

Another thing I am noticing is that if I get up and walk around the house it still sits around the low 70s mark. I can get it higher when doing an activity but I notice it drops very quickly back to somewhere in the 60s once I stop that activity.

For example, my heart rate might be around 85 when doing a chore such as loading the dishwasher but once I sit or lay down it returns to the 60s within around a minute or so.

I understand this is normally a sign of fitness however I wouldn't say I'm extremely fit. I only go for a walk or bike ride once or twice every couple of weeks. My partner is currently pregnant so I have been doing a lot more of the housework and we have been eating better also.

I am 34 years old, 6ft3. I had an ECG today which was normal according to the doctor.

In all of your experiences, is there any reason for me to worry?

Any help or insight would be appreciated 🙂

Thanks,

Michael

[Odyssey13]

Hi @MichaelM05  the best person to ask would be your doctor, especially with your having an ECG so recently. Fitbit is not a medical device, but it is a good indicator for many of us. A lower heart rate can mean you're just more relaxed and not so stressed. With myself, when I get to thinking too much, worry about family or just don't feel well, my heart rate goes up. I my Fitbit to know when to take a few deep breathing moments and see the heart rate slow down. Congrats on the new baby. Sounds like 2021 will be good to you both!

[MichaelM05]

Hi Odyssey13, thank you very much for your reply. That makes a lot of sense. I'm just worried because even before while standing up, I was at 54bpm which I find strange for standing haha.

[shipo]

The fact is, resting heart rate RHR varies by many variables including but not limited to:

• Fitness level
• Stress level
• Recent sleep
• Do you have a cold or a flu
• Recent diet

I've been wearing a Fitbit for almost six years and what I've found is my fitness level is first and foremost the key indicator of my RHR; secondarily is whether I have a cold or flu or other health issue like the broken leg I suffered in February 2019 or the COVID-19 infection I endured between February and April of last year.

As a baseline, here are some screen shots of my RHR graphs from April of 2015 when I started wearing a Fitbit Surge through January of 2017, notice how my RHR rarely got up to 48 bpm; during this entire time I was running over 2,000 miles per year and even at 59 years old was able to run half-marathons in the hour thirty to hour forty range:

Starting in the spring of 2017 I had a series of accidents which broke a number of bones and tore a tendon, and of course the whole COVID thing I mentioned above; here are a few screen shots which show the gradual increase of my RHR up into the 50s and then the gradual decline back into the 40s as I am *finally* starting to shake off all of the issues I've had over the last four years and am endeavoring to get back in in shape:

And finally, what the above "smoothed" graphs don't show are the short term swings one might see in a daily plot due to sleep, or having a cold, or stress, so here is first a 3 months plot, and then a 1 month plot to show how RHR can literally swing several points in a single week:

Long story short, don't worry about a swing in your RHR of just a few points; life is dynamic enough by itself to introduce that kind of a swing, add in exercise, or stop exercising, and the swing will be much greater.

[shipo]

Geez, it just occurred to me there was one key RHR element I forgot to list above, alcohol consumption.

I am a very light drinker, maybe a beer or three per month, so I personally have not noticed it impacting my RHR, however, there are several threads around here which highlight how drinking affects the RHR of many folks.

[MichaelM05]

Hi shipo,

Thank you very much for the really detailed post, I highly appreciate that.

I do understand there are always RHR fluctuations however I was more worried that when I was doing certain activities where it was normally higher, it was now much lower. Also, after those activities the recovery back down to ~60bpm was happening very quickly. I ended up having an ECG and bloods taken today and everything looks normal.

Perhaps as you said, it's just certain lifestyle moments causing this.

Thanks again,

Michael

[Heybales]

Lower resting HR combined with faster drop (and less increase frankly) after exertion is great sign of improved fitness, no matter how small it may be.

Could show you have great genetic potential.

Keep it up!

Just lower HR is usually combined with being on a diet, most will observe that drop.