Why it is important to know what your resting pulsations are

Whether you are an athlete or not, it is important that you know, at least in general, how your heart works and what aspects you can measure yourself to know that everything is going as it should .

One of those aspects are your heart rate or pulsations , which is the rhythm that your heart beats. Simply measuring that number when you are at rest you can know if your heart is working normally or if you have a problem that requires medical attention and you can control the intensity of the exercise that suits you .

What is the heart rate?

As we said, the heart rate is the number of beats or beats of the heart for one minute . For everything in the body to function normally, the heart must pump blood at a certain pressure and frequency.

The resting heart rate depends on each person, their age, sex, weight and state of health. Normally it ranges between 50 and 100 beats per minute . These are some of the aspects that influence.

– In newborns , the heart rate is very high because the activity of the organism is very intense. From the first month of life, it slows down until it reaches adulthood, and normally it remains stable after 20 years.

-It would go a lot from day to night , due to the different stimuli and activity levels.

-The physical exercise requires a greater oxygen supply to the muscles, and this means a greater work of the heart. In almost all people the heart rate during physical activity and right after is above 100 beats per minute.

In addition, at a specific time there are several factors that can affect our pulse , such as temperature, the altitude at which we are, if we are sick or taking any medication or our mood at that time.

How is the heart rate measured?

There are different ways to measure heart rate. The simplest is to use an electronic device , such as a smart watch or an activity wristband, which already includes this function.

Another option is to do it by hand. To do this, look for a point on your body where you can feel the pulse (in the neck, wrist or groin, for example) and press lightly with the index and middle fingers (never with the thumb, which has its own pulse and you can liarte) to clearly distinguish each beat. Look at a clock and count the beats for 10 seconds, and multiply the number by six (you can count the whole minute, but this method is faster).

It is important that you do this when you are calm , before starting any physical activity, to know your pulsations at rest.

What is the maximum heart rate?

As we say, it is important to measure the pulsations at rest because once we begin to move, the heart begins to accelerate to cover the oxygen demand that the muscles demand.

But you have to be careful because if that frequency increases too much, we can suffer serious damage to the heart , such as tachycardia, heart attacks or angina. That is why a maximum heart rate is established, which is the one we are supposed to never exceed in order not to take risks.

That maximum frequency is calculated by subtracting 220 our age. For example, if you are 35 years old, your maximum heart rate will be 220 – 35 = 185 beats per minute. This formula, however, is somewhat generic, and there are other more accurate ones.

Why should the pulsations be low?

Several studies have shown that there is a relationship between pulsations and the risk of death : the higher these pulsations are, the higher the risk. It also happens when observing the different species of mammals: the higher the heart rate, the shorter the life expectancy.

How can we reduce our heart rate?

The Heart Foundation explains that one of the best ways to reduce heart rate is through physical exercise . “It is estimated that every 1-2 weeks of aerobic training we could get a reduction in the resting heart rate of one beat per minute.” That throughout benefits the quality of life.

In case the pulsations are very high, and coincides with the high tension, pharmacological treatments can always be applied under the supervision of a specialist.