Heart numbers and what they mean

What are normal heart numbers?

There are a few ways to measure how your heart is working to pump blood around your body.

Heart rate

Your heart rate, also called your pulse, is the number of times your heart beats per minute. A normal resting heart rate is between 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm). Your heart rate increases during exercise.

You can measure your own heart rate easily by finding your pulse in your wrist and counting how many beats there are for 60 seconds. There are also lots of devices now available including smartphone apps, smart watches and other wearables that can measure your heart rate. Some can even continuously measure your heart rate while you exercise and sleep.

Your resting heart rate may be lower if you take medications such as beta-blockers. Heart rate is also lower the fitter you are because your heart doesn’t need to work as hard. Athletes tend to have lower resting heart rates.

If your heart rate is very fast when you’re resting, and you have symptoms such as dizziness or feeling faint, see a GP. If your heart rate is very low and you have symptoms of dizziness or light-headedness, you should also see a GP.

Heart rate variability

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the amount of time between your heart beats. This can show how adaptive your heart is to changes. A high HRV is usually better because it means your body is more resilient and able to respond to stress, recovery needs, and environmental changes.

Blood pressure

This is the force of blood pushing against the walls of your arteries (a type of blood vessel). If blood pressure is too high (hypertension), this can increase your risk of stroke and heart attack.

Blood pressure measurements have two numbers, one over another. The top number is systolic pressure (the pressure of blood in your arteries when your heart beats). The bottom number is diastolic pressure (the pressure of blood in your arteries when your heart muscle relaxes).

Below are ranges for normal, raised, and high blood pressure.

• A normal blood pressure reading is between 90/60mmHg and 130/85mmHg.
• A blood pressure reading between 130/85mmHg and 139/89mmHg is high but not yet high blood pressure.
• If blood pressure is above 135/85mmHg at home or 140/90mmHg at a clinic, this is diagnosed as high blood pressure.

Your blood pressure can increase during the day for different reasons. So, to be sure you have high blood pressure, you may need multiple measurements (in the morning and evening, for example) over a few days. You can have your blood pressure checked at your GP surgery or some pharmacies.

What is a good maximum heart rate by age?

When you exercise, your heart rate goes up. This is to get oxygen around your body faster. But depending on your age, your heart rate can only go up a certain amount. This is called your maximum heart rate.

You can calculate your maximum heart rate by subtracting your age from 220. For example, if you’re 31 years old, your maximum heart rate will be 189 bpm. As you get older, your maximum heart rate becomes lower.

When exercising, it’s best to aim for moderate intensity, which is about 50 per cent to 70 per cent of your maximum heart rate. If you go above this, you might run out of energy too quickly. As you build your fitness and experience with exercise, you may be able to go up to 85 per cent of your maximum heart rate.

How to keep your heart healthy

While you can’t control your genetics or age, there are lots of things you can do that are good for your heart health.

• Regular physical activity – regular exercise can help reduce your risk of many health conditions, including heart disease. Even if you’re not very active, a little exercise is better than none. To start with, you could try simple activities such as walking and gardening.
• Eating well – your diet is very important for your heart because it can help reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure. Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables and limiting salt and fatty foods can help keep your heart healthy.
• Getting enough sleep – your heart can be affected if you’re not getting enough good-quality sleep. Sleep is also important for your general health. It’s recommended to get around 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. You might find it helpful to use a sleep tracker to measure your sleep.
• Managing stress – if you’re stressed, this could lead to unhealthy habits such as smoking or eating junk food, which can increase your risk of heart problems. Things you can try to ease stress include getting active, doing a hobby you find relaxing, meditation, and yoga.