Your Heart Rate Tells Your Health

By Stephen Bucaro

Several recent studies have found that your resting heart rate can be a good indicator of your state of health. Your resting heart rate is your heart rate after you have been sitting calmly for more than 30 minutes. A high resting heart rate indicates a high probability of health problems to come.

Researchers at George Washington University of Medicine found that people with resting heart rates above 76 beats per minute were 26 percent more likely to have a heart attack than those with the lower resting heart rates. Japanese researchers found that people with a resting heart rate at or above 80 beats per minute were more likely to become obese and develop diabetes later in life.

To check your resting heart rate, sit comfortably and locate your pulse on your wrist near the base of your thumb. Place two fingers on your pulse and count the number of beats in 15 seconds, then multiply that number by 4 to get your heart rate.

This fingertip pulse oximeter features
a large bright red LED display which
allows you read it in the dark

People who get regular exercise tend to have slower resting heart rates. One method of exercise that results in a lower resting heart rate is interval training. Interval training is a type of physical training, like using a treadmill or elliptical machine, that involves bursts of high intensity exercise alternated with periods of rest. The high intensity exercise temporarily raises your pulse rate, but interval training, over time, lowers your resting heart rate.