help menu

Join us on the Community Forums!

  • Community Guidelines

    The Fitbit Community is a gathering place for real people who wish to exchange ideas, solutions, tips, techniques, and insight about the Fitbit products and services they love. By joining our Community, you agree to uphold these guidelines, so please take a moment to look them over.

  • Learn the Basics

    Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page for information on Community features, and tips to make the most of your time here.

  • Join the Community!

    Join an existing conversation, or start a new thread to ask your question. Creating your account is completely free, and takes about a minute.

Not finding your answer on the Community Forums?

Cancel
Turn on suggestions
Auto-suggest helps you quickly narrow down your search results by suggesting possible matches as you type.
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Increase in resting heart rate

ANSWERED

‎02-07-2017 12:45

‎02-07-2017 12:45

Hi,

 

I've been doing loads more exercise lately, and my resting heart rate has increased quite a lot. I thought it would go down? Or is this because my heart rate is generally higher due to the exercise so my resting heart rate seems higher? Thanks 🙂

Best Answer
1 BEST ANSWER

Accepted Solutions

‎11-16-2019 13:13

In response to AntoniaG

‎11-16-2019 13:13

"Can anyone explain this to me?"....How much time do you have? 

So many factor come in to play. 

Lets eliminate false readings first, what tracker are you using and how are you wearing it?  Some Fitbits are more reliable and stable than others.  For example, the old Charge HR was very prone to erratic readings as soon as perspiration occurred. You might want to invest in a good Bluetooth strap monitor like a Polar or Wahoo.  You can use these to verify your Fitbit data when extremes are observed.  You can also measure Heart Rate Variability, which can provide insight into your cardio and nervous system makeup, search for HRV.

 

Hitting 180 bpm while just walking is unusual.  But HR is impacted by psychologic factors, just thinking about something that moves you can cause this.  Try looking at a plot of your HR while you are sleeping, it can go from below RHR to over 100 in seconds. Pay attention to your breathing, over-ventilating increases HR. If you are huffing and puffing, stress hormone secretion kicks in (survival reflex), you may be very sensitive to this.  Use breathing techniques to mitigate.

 

You should not be concerned about reaching fat-burning zone from low activity.  Very normal, my HR goes from 60s to 80s just from standing up (we are very close in age btw).  Humans are made to live in FBZ unless you have exceptional heart and lung function like Lance Armstrong.  Primitive people spent every waking minute in motion, just to survive.  Even our grandparents lead much more active lives than us.  Sedentary living is a very recent development for our biology.

 

Your final observation is why I found this topic.  I have always wondered why my RHR varies on a fairly regular basis over a two week period.  From low 60s to high 60s.  It may be normal bio-rhythms (hormonal cycles, activity levels, stress levels, sleep quality, response to diet), environmental (barometric, lunar), or, immune system response to allergies and viruses.  I think previously mentioned hydration is a strong contributing factor.  Being under high pressure at work or in your personal life definitely elevates RHR. 

 

Bottom line is it may be entirely normal for many of us and we are only discussing it because we now have bio-metric tools at our disposal to be aware of it.  Either way inquiring minds want to know.

 

It would be nice if Fitbit added RHR values to the Exportable Data Set.  It could then be plotted against caloric data, activity, and sleep data to establish possible correlations over time.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience and keep doing what you are doing, because it is working.

View best answer in original post

Best Answer
128 REPLIES 128

‎02-07-2017 13:13

‎02-07-2017 13:13

You should ask your doctor about that.  everyone is different.  Your resting heart rate could also swing back and forth based on you.   

Best Answer

‎02-07-2017 13:44

‎02-07-2017 13:44

I see the same. In periods with more activity my resting heart rate is higher.

how is that calculated? I am using my fitbit at night.

 

sigrid

Best Answer

‎02-07-2017 14:04

‎02-07-2017 14:04

@Jenna19 @Serm Out of curiosity, do you wear your Charge 2 to sleep?

 

We use HR data from when you are awake and asleep, so wearing your tracker to sleep will improve your resting heart rate accuracy.

I would also recommend the three tips mentioned here to ensure that you are getting an accurate HR reading from your tracker.

 

Hope this helps!

Derrick | Retired Moderator, Fitbit
Best Answer

‎02-08-2017 13:35

In response to DerrickS

‎02-08-2017 13:35

Hi,

Yes I do wear it to sleep. I have also had a read of those tips you posted. Would any of those things cause my heart rate to seem higher?

Thanks

Sent from my iPhone
Best Answer

‎02-26-2017 09:29

‎02-26-2017 09:29

I've been using my Charge 2 since October. In November my resting heart rate went up from 63-64 to 68-69, which, it turned out, was a sign that I had a cold coming on. A couple weeks later it went back to normal.

 

However, since Christmas my RHR has been up again, fluctuating from 65 to 67 and only occasionally dropping to my normal rate. At first I thought I had another cold (or perhaps the flu) coming on, but since it's been two months now I'm thinking something else is up.

 

I am exercising regularly (but not daily). I wear my tracker every night and get solid readings - going through the diagram on my dashboard it's clear to me that the measured HR at night is higher than before. I was thinking perhaps it's the result of an update that I downloaded/installed around that time. Anybody else see a change from around Christmas/New Year's?

Best Answer

‎02-26-2017 12:06 - edited ‎02-26-2017 12:07

In response to Tintina9

‎02-26-2017 12:06 - edited ‎02-26-2017 12:07

Although a lowering resting heart rate is often a sign of increased fitness, having a RHR that is going up does not necessarily mean decreasing fitness levels. In my experience there are a number of factors that can cause a rise in resting heart rate.

 

1. The body fighting a cold/virus/etc. My RHR will rise for a few days if I'm coming down with sickness.

2. Not getting enough sleep.

3. Overtraining. Pushing things too hard will get the RHR on a rising trend.

I use RHR to track the above symptoms, and find a definite correlation between them. Just today, I'm cancelling a workout because of a 5-day rising RHR due to sleep issues and getting over a cold. This is really helpful information, as I usually try to "power through" illness/pain, and looking at RHR gives me a better view of where my body's recovery system is at.

Work out...eat... sleep...repeat!
Dave | California

Best Answer

‎03-07-2017 10:46

In response to DerrickS

‎03-07-2017 10:46

Yes I do wear it to sleep. I wear it all the time! Thanks for the tips 🙂 

Best Answer

‎03-14-2017 20:42

In response to Jenna19

‎03-14-2017 20:42

Hi. I found that abstaining from alcohol brought down my rhr.  I would drink 1-3 glasses of wine daily and would see large spikes and dips in my rhr from day to day.  Since abstaining I have not varied from 58-59 bpm in my rhr.

Best Answer

‎05-10-2017 11:00

In response to Joeonroad

‎05-10-2017 11:00

Same here.  The more I exercise, the more my rhr goes up

Best Answer

‎05-10-2017 14:31

In response to WavyDavey

‎05-10-2017 14:31

@WavyDavey wrote:

 

1. The body fighting a cold/virus/etc. My RHR will rise for a few days if I'm coming down with sickness.

2. Not getting enough sleep.

3. Overtraining. Pushing things too hard will get the RHR on a rising trend.

What about food and diet? Do you think that increasing calories consumption, number of meals or food intake near the sleeping period can increase RHR because of the work body should do to consume the food during the nighttime?

Best Answer

‎05-10-2017 19:40

‎05-10-2017 19:40

Resting heart rate does generally decrease with increased exercise and better conditioning but it is a long-term effect. It is not seen right away and could take weeks or months to be seen, especially with a big jump in exercise.  In the short term, a big jump in exercise could well raise resting heart rate, especially if the body does not have time to recover. It is generally better to gradually increase exercise.  With bigger increases in exercise, the body needs more rest to recover; by 'rest' meaning not just sleep but also clock time between hard workouts to give the body time to recover.

Before posting, re-read to see if it would make sense to someone else not looking at your Fitbit or phone.

Best Answer

‎08-16-2017 01:34

‎08-16-2017 01:34

Hi, 

My rest hr yesterday was 62,and today is 69. (and my pulse is around 100 all day, usually is 65-80) Anyone similar experience? 

PS. yes i wear it always, no food change, same routine workout..

 

Thanks!

Best Answer

‎08-19-2017 05:37

In response to Selma8

‎08-19-2017 05:37

Screenshot_20170819-163154.png

 

 

Anyone similar experience?

Best Answer

‎08-19-2017 10:05

In response to Selma8

‎08-19-2017 10:05

Mine has kind of been the same too. I would post the screenshot but I don't know how. But I have the same trend for the last part of my graph.

Best Answer

‎08-19-2017 10:11

In response to Star87

‎08-19-2017 10:11

20170819_210903.jpg

 

 Do you have any idea why it happened? 

 

Best Answer

‎08-19-2017 10:16

In response to Selma8

‎08-19-2017 10:16

Screenshot_2017-08-19-11-00-32-1.png

 Thank you! I don't think I had the feature yet the first time I posted.

 

I feel like it was after the last update. That's when I noticed it started going up. But I'm not sure.

Best Answer

‎09-08-2017 02:09

‎09-08-2017 02:09

In line with your post! I haven't been doing any extra excercise... in fact I'm on holiday but my RHR has increased considerably and it's really making me worried. I usually have a 65 RHR but it's shot up to 74 in 5/6 days! Should I be worried??? I feel like I should be! 

Best Answer

‎09-08-2017 04:47

In response to AbbieO

‎09-08-2017 04:47

To be honest with you, i had the same as on the screen shot i shared. And now after 2-3 weeks is back to "normal". And i didn't have any changes in my lifestyle as well. I have no idea why it happened 🤔

Best Answer

‎09-09-2017 10:27

In response to Selma8

‎09-09-2017 10:27

Hey guys! I hope you are doin' great! 

 

@Selma8, I appreciate you have shared those images with us. I'd like to explain you that, my resting heart rate also varies sometimes, but this is just for a few days, even if I don't change my exercise routine, for example, but remember that there are some days when even if we don't feel it, we are under a little bit more of pressure and stress and that could be reflected on our resting heart rate. 

On the other side, sounds pretty nice that your results are getting normal again. If you have further questions or comments, keep me posted. 😉 

 

@Star87, as I previously mentioned, I'd like you to take into consideration some factors that may be affecting your resting heart rate in this post. Also, if you could review these wear tips, it'll be great, because the way you wear your Charge 2, affects your results. If none of them apply in your case, then I would suggest you to perform a restart of your Charge 2, use it for a few days and let me know how it goes! 

 

@AbbieO, maybe you have been through some stressful situations lately and as I previously mentioned, that could also affect your resting heart rate. You could also perform a restart of your Charge 2 by following these instructions, wear it for a few days and see how it goes. 😉 

 

Have a nice day, guys! 

Heydy | Community Moderator, Fitbit
Best Answer