The Beat on Resting Heart Rate (infographic)
See the below infographic highlighting the aggregated and anonymous resting heart rate data of over 1 million Fitbit users. Fitbit found a strong correlation between resting heart rate and two key health metrics: body mass index and moderate to intense daily activity. Check out some of the key data points about resting heart rate below, as well as tips on how to keep your heart healthy during the month of February and beyond.
Click to enlarge.
BODY MASS INDEX AND RESTING HEART RATE ARE RELATED
- 50-90 beats per minutes is the typical resting heart range for adult Fitbit users
- Being skinny/thin doesn’t imply heart health. On average, underweight people (< 18.5 BMI) have similar resting heart rates to overweight (25-30 BMI) and obese (30-40 BMI) individuals.
A DAILY DOSE OF ACTIVITY DELIVERS A SIGNIFICANT BENEFIT, TO A POINT
- When you maintain activity levels that get your heart pumping, you’re likely to lower your resting heart rate over time. Fitbit quantifies and tracks this type of activity as “active minutes” and is moderate to intense activity from a brisk walk to running or cycling.
- The AHA & CDC both recommend an average of 30 minutes of activity five days a week, which Fitbit data show can have a positive affect toward lowering your resting heart rate.
- 30 minutes of daily activity is the sweet spot! When you get above 60 minutes of daily activity there can be diminishing returns.
As an FYI, Fitbit Charge HR and Fitbit Surge, and the new Fitbit Blaze, are all equipped with PurePulse™ heart rate technology automatically track heart rate all-day and during exercise right from your wrist.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
P.S. Getting into a regular habit of 30-minutes of daily activity is difficult, even if you know the benefits are worth it. Utilize How to Make Heart Healthy Changes into Lifelong Habits to set yourself up for success as you work to add activity to your routine.
