Resting Heartrate on Inspire HR

[Alsoran]

How could it be that my resting heart rate is showing as being higher than my heartrate is during the day at times??  For example, my resting heart rate shows 70, but right now my heart rate is 64.  Is that even possible??  Thanks.

[Julia_G]

Hi, @Alsoran that is an excellent question!  Actually what you are seeing is very common (happens to me all the time) and is because of the way Fitbit calculates resting heartrate, which is a little different from the precise medical definition.

There are a number of ways of calculating your RHR but I think the most precise definition is a heartrate measurement taken first thing in the morning when you are awake and alert but have not yet gotten out of bed or exerted yourself in any way.  Obviously it can vary from day to day (just like your Fitbit measured one), but it is based on a single reading each day.  Your RHR measured this way is almost certainly higher than the lowest heartrate you reached overnight. 

Fitbit calculates RHR a little differently.  If you wear your Fitbit to bed it monitors your heartrate all night, including the lowest points you reached overnight.  But it also samples your heartrate throughout the day whenever it has not detected any activity for approximately 5 minutes.  Each 24 hours it takes an average of these samples and records a RHR for the day.

For that reason you may see numbers below your RHR overnight AND at any point in the day you may also see a lower number.

Since it is consistent in how it measured, the comparison of RHR for each day will still give you a useful indication of your fitness progress.  Your medical RHR will almost certainly be a little different, but unless you are in hospital and a nurse comes in to take your HR before you are up and about most people won’t really have that number anyway, if you see what I mean.

I hope this gives you a good explanation of what you are seeing.  Welcome to the forums!

[Alsoran]

Thanks so much!  That's really helpful.  My RHR has raised lately and I wondered what was going on (I shouldn't - I work in accounts and it's end of financial year!!!)