Increase in resting heart rate

[Jenna19]

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 🙂

[Iemb8]

I know this is an old thread, but menstrual cycle will increase RHR around ovulation and during the later part of the cycle bringing RHR to its lowest around menses 

[NAT15pz]

Yes I know things about my body which could help the world. I just want my resting pulse to be 47bpm at athletic height and as occupational athlete in longevity. Which technically it is as sleep which seems to make sense.

Nathan... The true spirit of surfing

[littlechalupa]

Long story short, with a Fitbit, you have to change your definition of "resting heart rate."

In health class, you were probably taught that resting heart rate is your heart rate once you've been at full rest for at least a minute laying down, being calm and doing nothing. I was generally told the best time to get your actual resting heart rate is right after you wake, before you really move at all from your sleeping position. That's a resting heart rate.

Fitbit, on the other hand, appears to use data from throughout your day to calculate your resting heart rate. SO. If you've gotten more active recently (ie: moving around more, not necessarily exercising), then there are more elevated heart rate data points being factored into your "resting" heart rate. Fitbit doesn't seem to discriminate between "resting" heart rate data points taken when sitting, standing, walking around or sleeping.

If you want a better idea of your actual resting heart rate, look at your heart rate graph and focus in on the data points taken while you're sleeping and at initial wake (before movement). That'll give you a much better idea of the textbook definition of a resting heart rate.

[FBMum]

I started to really watch my Fitbit Charge 2 in earnest during mid May this year when I started to exercise regularly.  Almost from the moment I began to exercise my resting heart fell from around 70 bpm to around 51-52 over several weeks in a steady gradient.  Once at the 51-52 there it stayed until about 3 weeks ago when I got a cold bug - not the dreaded C-19, but just a common winter cold bug.  I was astonished to see that the resting heart rate started to shift upwards.  Over several days it def. got higher and eventually got as high as 57 bpm, then as I recovered from the illness the heart-rate fell again, it then fell to around 54 bpm for a a good number of days - during when time I still had the 'sniffles' and finally this week has returned to 51-52 and I am completely well again at long last.  This seems far too coincidental for pure chance and I now think heart rate also increases with some illnesses.  I intend to watch for this in the future as I might be able to use the Fitbit to confirm if I've got a bug in the future by seeing what the heart-rate is doing.

[FBMum]

Added to the info above, it is really interesting that yesterday I had a flu jab, and today the resting heart rate has jumped from 51 to 53 beats per minute!!

[celinne]

Hello,

https://www.squashleagues.org/Fitbit/FitbitDataDownload

this website is very helpful for downloading your exact data, you can export it into an excel spreadsheet. You might find it interesting.

All the best,

Celine

[Starkiller74]

The same thing happening with me here. I started trying to gain weight so I've been doing weightlifting and a couple days ago added running to it. My cardio is not what it used to be so I'm trying to get it up but I went from 60 bmp (used to be 57) to now its 72

[NikkiNova]

That's normal when your body is under stress and healing. Take vitamin c and wait until it goes back down to continue strenuous exercise.

Sent from Samsung Ultra 21

[bunney]

Hi! How is your RHR situation going?

I’m sure your Daily Readiness and/or Stress Management Score would be helping with this - FINALLY!!! …right?

[Kibbie]

I had the same issue where my resting heart rate was in the upper 50s to low 60s consistently for years, yet changed (hasn't gone back down since) post hard workouts on a treadmill (versus my usual outdoor walking). As soon as I started working out really hard on a treadmill, my resting heart rate went up to low 60s / mid 60s consistently. What I've read is if you do not slowly increase your intensity at the beginning of every workout and instead jump into hard exercise it can trigger this response (which wasn't in my case). Also, not having enough rest in between high intensity workouts can cause this (in my case). I love working out and during the period that my resting heart rate had gone up and stayed up since, I was pushing myself by doing extremely long treadmill walks, adjusting speed up and down and going to 15%/9° hiking grade up and down and throwing in some sprints, just a lot of intensity. I also was working out multiple times a day 4 or 5 x a week for about 4 weeks. I was not trying to lose weight or anything, I had just bought a new treadmill and was really enjoying it. I like to get on it because it's relaxing. I like to listen to music and sing while I'm working out as well (lets me know when I get into a certain range of my workout because I can't sing any longer, this is not why I do it though). The weird thing is, I can go walking on a trail outside and after an hour I'm pretty tired and ready to go home. But on the treadmill I can walk two and a half hours with no problem and not want to stop (This is going 3 to 3 and 1/2 mph while walking). I suppose it's because when you're outside you're having to move side to side going around curves and up and down gradients. It's just a totally different experience than walking on a treadmill. Walking outside on a trail or hiking is really my happiest time. But a treadmill gives me the option to hop on it when it's really miserable outside (which actually never has stopped me from going outside) or it's late at night. My reason for having a treadmill is the latter and because I have to do less prepping to get ready to go to my trail. It gives me an option to hop on real quick and hop back off, when going to my trail never is that quick no matter what. I use it as part of my exercise experience. I would suggest the reason it can cause the resting heart rate to go up on most people is likely because most people want to push themselves harder to feel the experience they would get if they were outside hiking or walking. Being outside walking or hiking gives you a more gradual work up to intensity usually because the terrain under your feet is ever changing. But hopping on a treadmill where you have a consistent surface and have to actively create those subtle changes to imitate the terrain changes possibly creates that over exertion that is different. Also separate, as you age your resting heart rate can go up a handful of points. But anything that's sudden and or extended with a high point difference should always be medically checked out. Happy walking & Hiking!