# What is your resting pulse rate? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 22, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575 "2004-09-22T22:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/41 "2004-09-23T16:16:15Z")
52 (after a can of Coke) ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/42 "2004-09-23T16:16:24Z")
54 or so. It used to be a rock-solid 72, like a Swiss watch in my couch potato days. Nowadays, I run 25-30 miles per week and do weights 3 times a week. What a difference! ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/43 "2004-09-23T16:22:19Z")
Hmm. . . 64. Darned thing was hard to find. ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/44 "2004-09-23T16:45:22Z")
A strong 48. When I am exercising, it takes me forever to get my heart rate up and I am not in shape at all. When I was trying to get in shape last year, I would be huffing and puffing on the elliptical cycle and my heart rate was up to 60. It takes me nearly 20 minutes to get to a decent exercise heart rate. ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/45 "2004-09-23T16:53:17Z")
1. I’ve measured it when I first wake up and it’s generally in the fifties. I just had lunch and a big thing of tea, too. However, I’ve been reading _Ginsey Industries v. I.T.K. Plastics_. It’s about a shipment of plastics that didn’t do what Ginsey wanted it to, so they sued ITK. Unfortunately they sued them in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and ITK wanted them to move both suits to Massachusetts. ITK is incorporated in Massachusetts and it’s principal place of business is Massachusetts. Ginsey is incorporated in Pennsylvania and does business in New Jersey. Ginsey is fine with moving the case, but they want it moved to Pennsylvania. For the sake of expediency, ITK wants them both consolidated in Massachusetts. I haven’t read the rest of the case but I think the judge will consolidate it because the cause of action took place there. Your heart rate should have dropped a couple of beats after reading the above paragraph. Excuse me while I find some toothpicks to prop my eyes open. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/46 "2004-09-23T17:29:36Z")
Just as a matter of interest, when I first read the OP, I read this: > [@](#): > > I AM PLANNING ON GETTING FITTER. as this: > [@](#): > > I AM PLANNING ON GETTING _FATTER_ I don’t know why that cracked me up so much. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tiggrkitty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tiggrkitty/32/17966_2.png) [@Tiggrkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tiggrkitty)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/47 "2004-09-23T17:56:30Z")
Mine is 52. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![NewHeart\_Male](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@NewHeart\_Male](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NewHeart_Male)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/48 "2004-09-23T22:23:16Z")
> [@alice\_in\_wonderland](#): > > Just as a matter of interest, when I first read the OP, I read this: > > > [@](#): > > > > I AM PLANNING ON GETTING FITTER. > > as this: > > > [@](#): > > > > I AM PLANNING ON GETTING _FATTER_ > > I don’t know why that cracked me up so much. 🙂 [Homer] _Well… I have been eating more!_ [/Homer] ---
**Author:** ![NewHeart\_Male](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@NewHeart\_Male](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NewHeart_Male)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/49 "2004-09-23T22:26:16Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > That wasn’t a _resting_ rate. Get your resting heart rate first thing in the morning, before you sit up in bed. That’s the most accurate resting heart rate. Aha!!! Thanks, darling. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/50 "2004-09-24T00:50:46Z")
I’m around 80. But I drink too much coffee. When I get the strength to live through the withdrawal symptoms and try my heart rate sans caffeine, I’ll let you know. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/51 "2004-09-24T00:50:52Z")
It has been 8 or so years since I measured my resting heart rate. I wore a heart rate monitor at night, and it dropped below 40. Back then, my heart rate was 52 while sitting at a key board. I am a 43 year old unreformed runner. I became serious about 8 years ago. I measured my heart rate, using my bosses blood pressure finger thing, while standing in his office two days ago, it was 49. I assume sitting down it is around 45. ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/52 "2004-09-24T01:05:27Z")
1. I don’t get it. I walk around 10 miles a day (Work Related), and work out 4 days on/1 off cycle for about 1 hour and a half. 30 minutes of cardio followed by an hour of weights. My work is also pretty physical, lifting and using power equipment etc… ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2004, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/53 "2004-09-26T20:53:14Z")
> [@Burrido](#): > > 1. I don’t get it. I walk around 10 miles a day (Work Related), and work out 4 days on/1 off cycle for about 1 hour and a half. 30 minutes of cardio followed by an hour of weights. My work is also pretty physical, lifting and using power equipment etc… Resting heart rates are variable and not directly comparable. It’s a way to compare your fitness week to week, but not really a good way to compare to other people. If it’s usually 70 and after a few weeks of exercise it’s 65, then that means you are gaining fitness. On the other hand if one morning you wake up and it is, say, 80, that is an indication that you have not recovered from a previous workout and you may want to take a day off of exercise to recover. Ok, so is there a better indicator of fitness than resting heart rate? There is, and that is to measure how quickly you recover from very hard efforts. For instance, during interval training I can hold my heart rate at 180 to 185 for a 10 minute effort. After that effort is over, I note how fast my heart rate drops; within 2 minutes is is usually around 120 to 130 and keeps droppping after that if I don’t exert myself anymore. At the end of my interval training, after 4 or 5 efforts, the heart rate doesn’t drop as fast. 2 minutes after my last effort my heart rate may be 150 to 160. I’m starting to get tired. In more general terms, think about how you feel after climbing a few flights of stairs when you are not in shape. A minute after finishing an unfit person is still breathing hard. A fit person is back to normal within 15 seconds or so. So rather than using your resting heart rate as an indicator of your individual fitness, keep track of how fast your heart rate recovers after very hard efforts. The more fitness you have, the faster you can recover. Seriously, why should you care what my heart rate is? It’s your heart that you have to use. ---
**Author:** ![look\_ninjas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b2d939/32.png) [@look\_ninjas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/look_ninjas)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2004, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/54 "2004-09-27T02:06:39Z")
Right now, it’s 80. Usually it’s closer to 60, but I’m a little panicky, so my heart’s racing. ---
**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/55 "2004-09-28T02:11:19Z")
Usually, about 55. Best ever: 49. ---
**Author:** ![tsarina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f4b2a3/32.png) [@tsarina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsarina)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2004, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/56 "2004-09-28T11:18:52Z")
I just measured mine as 79. And I’ve been working out three times a week for the past month, so this is probably better than it’s ever been. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Demo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demo/32/8472_2.png) [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/57 "2004-09-29T17:21:55Z")
Mine is 44 BPM right now. My problem is that, as soon as I start doing something physical, my HR shoots up to 110-130, even if I’m just walking up stairs. When I’m biking or running hard I sustain 185 BPM or so, and have hit over 205 when really peaking out. My recovery is usually pretty quick, though. It will also shoot up at the beginning of a workout(which probably means I’m not warming up adequately). I also smoke, so my resting HR is probably usually higher, but I haven’t smoked today(cutting back because I have a half marathon coming up in three weeks). ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2004, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575/58 "2004-09-29T17:49:27Z")
Been sitting at the computer for about two hours. Pulse = 60 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-resting-pulse-rate/265575.md?page=2)