Pulse Rate Recovery After Exercise

The rate at which your pulse recovers after exercise can say a lot about your overall health, as well as your potential lifespan. A healthy heart will begin to slow beating once you stop exercising. You should monitor your pulse during these first few minutes to determine whether your heart is recovering as it should. Slow recovery rates or abnormal rates could indicate a serious health condition; consult with your doctor.

Pulse Rate Recovery

The amount of time it takes for your pulse to return to your normal resting rate after exercise is known as the recovery period. Certain types of exercises increase your pulse more than others. Aerobic exercises, such running and swimming, are intense cardiovascular workouts demanding a high amount of oxygen for the body. This results in a faster pulse than when performing anaerobic exercises, such as push or pull strength exercises. The recovery period depends on how intense of an exercise you perform, as well as your overall fitness level.

Mortality Indicator

Eye-opening research conducted by a team of cardiologists at the Cleveland Clinic found that slow post-exercise recovery rates could indicate a shorter-than-average life expectancy. According to Dr. Michael Lauer of the Cleveland Clinic's cardiology department, the first 60 seconds after exercise provide vital statistical data about your fitness level. Lauer's research team tracked the recovery rates of about 2,400 study participants for a six-year span. Participants performed intense physical activity for eight to 12 minutes that forced maximal exhaustion. Researchers took pulse readings during exercise and one minute after exercise. A recovery rate of 20 heartbeats per minute indicated a healthy pulse. More than 200 participants died during the course of the study, slightly more than half of whom had demonstrated abnormal recovery rates.

Abnormal Pulse Recovery

A variety of reasons can cause abnormalities in a pulse, such as tachycardia -- a condition affecting the electrical signals that produce heart beats. As a result of the misfiring electrical impulses, the heart's chambers pump irregularly. Another cardiac condition that can affect your pulse is atrial fibrillation, which also causes your heart to beat arrhythmically. If you notice that your pulse does not recover within a reasonable amount of time, or that your pulse is abnormal, you should speak with your doctor.

Improving Fitness

The more regular exercise you incorporate into your lifestyle, the less work your heart has to do to provide blood and oxygen to your body. The heart is like any other muscle that can be trained and strengthened. Athletes who train consistently have hearts that can more easily handle physical activity than untrained hearts; an athlete's pulse therefore recovers more quickly. A conditioned cardiovascular system also translates into lower resting heart rates. Well-trained athletes typically average 40 beats per minute when at rest, while a normal resting rate for adults range between 60 and 100 beats per minute, according to MayoClinic.com.

Pulse Rate Recovery After Exercise