The speed at which your heart rate returns to its normal rate following exertion is a measure of cardiovascular fitness. With endurance training, your resting heart rate becomes lower and your recovery time shortens. The slope of improved heart rate recovery over time demonstrates your improvement in cardiovascular fitness. As a measure of risk for cardiovascular disease and heart attack, recovery rates of less than 12 beats in the first minute or 22 beats in the first two minutes are associated with significantly increased risk of a coronary event and death. Measures of heart rate recovery are either expressed as the number of beats your heart drops in the first one or two minutes following exertion or as the amount of time it takes your heart to return to a designated number of beats.
Beats Per Minute
Step 1
Perform your normal cardiovascular workout routine. If you don't have an established routine, warm up with five to 10 minutes of walking and then do at least three minutes of challenging cardiovascular exercise, such as running, climbing stairs or bicycling. For the most accurate test results, you should be working at or near your maximal exertion. You will be able to tell that you are near your maximal exertion because you will breathing hard enough that it's uncomfortable to talk, but not so hard that you can't continue exercising for the time allotted.
Step 2
Check your heart rate at your maximal exertion. Use a heart rate monitor for best results, or take a 10- to 30-second pulse count with your fingers. Multiply a 10-second count by 6 to calculate beats per minute or multiply a 30-second count by 2.
Step 3
Set a timer for two minutes.
Step 4
Start the timer right when you stop exercising and sit down. Allow yourself to breathe normally.
Step 5
Note your heart rate at one minute and two minutes.
Step 6
Subtract your one-minute heart rate from your maximal heart rate to calculate your one-minute heart rate recovery. For example, if your maximal heart rate was 168 and your one-minute heart rate was 135, your one-minute heart rate recovery is 33 beats because 168 minus 135 equals 33.
Step 7
Subtract your two-minute heart rate from your maximal heart rate to calculate your two-minute heart rate recovery. For example, if your maximal heart rate was 168 and your two-minute heart rate was 115, your two-minute heart rate recovery is 53 because 168 minus 115 equals 53.
Time to Recovery Heart Rate
Step 1
Walk at a light pace for five minutes to warm up and increase your heart rate to a light effort level.
Step 2
Check your heart rate at the light effort level and note it as your goal recovery heart rate.
Step 3
Perform your normal cardiovascular workout routine or do at least three minutes of challenging cardiovascular exercise at or near your maximal exertion.
Step 4
Start a timer or stopwatch when you finish exercising and sit down.
Step 5
Monitor your heart rate with a heart rate monitor or frequent pulse checks.
Step 6
Note the amount of time that passes before your heart returns to the goal recovery heart rate.
Things You'll Need
- Heart rate monitor
- Stopwatch
References
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore, et al.; 2008
- "Clinical Exercise Testing"; Idelle M. Weisman, et al.; 2002
- "Exercise Testing for Primary Care and Sports Medicine Physicians"; Corey H. Evans, et al.; 2009
- "Coronary Disease in Women: Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Treatment"; Leslee J. Shaw, et al.; 2004
- "Training with the Heart Rate Monitor"; Kuno Hottenrott; 2007
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