Episode 39: Resting Heart Rate: Your Health & Fitness Indicator

Did you know – A normal resting heart rate for adults ranges from 60 to 100 beats per minute. Generally, a lower heart rate at rest implies more efficient heart function and better cardiovascular fitness. For example, a well-trained athlete might have a normal resting heart rate closer to 40 beats per minute. But in Chinese medicine we also see that it may not be good to have too low of a heart rate either.

In the west, we look at the rate and rhythm of the pulse as it reflects health. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, we go a step further and look beyond the quantitative analysis, and feel the quality of the pulse of patients and can palpate 22+ different pulses, ie. Slow, intermittent, fast, slippery, wiry, soft, ropy, thin, rolling choppy, sinking, etc., all a reflection of the state of the body!

What You’ll Learn

  • Why checking your HR is one of the easiest, and maybe most effective ways to gauge your health that can be done in 30 seconds with two fingers.
  • Why you should be in the target range of heart rate
  • What to do if you’re not in the target range
  • What a high resting heart rate means
  • What a low resting heart rate means
  • The effect of caffeine on HR
  • The effect of meds on HR
  • Can supplements like magnesium impact HR
  • The effect of exercise on heart rate
  • Tips for monitoring your heart rate
  • We demonstrate how to check your heart rate, if you don’t have a smartwatch
  • Why you should start slow with lifestyle changes to work on your HR
  • AND MORE! 

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