Assessing your heart health is an excellent approach to see how healthy you are. Although numerous factors might influence heart health, the most crucial areas you can readily assess yourself are your resting heart rate and your resting/active blood pressure.
- What is resting heart rate?
Count how many times your heart beats in a minute while you are sleeping. Standing, sitting, or lying down can all be considered forms of rest. The most important element to remember is that you are not exercising, as this would elevate your heart rate.
- What should my resting heart rate be?
Most healthy adults will have 60-100 beats per minute (BPM) resting heart rate. The lower the number of beats the more efficient the heart is at pumping blood. For example, elite athletes have been shown to have resting heart rates around 40 BPM.
- What is Blood Pressure?
Blood pressure is the amount of strength at which the heart pumps blood through the arteries.
- What is healthy blood pressure?
Healthy blood pressure should fall around 120/80.
- What happens if my blood pressure is too high or too low?
If the pressure is high, this is an indication that the heart is working harder than it needs to and can put a strain on the heart and lead to chronic disease.
If your blood pressure is too low, you may be pushing more blood through than is necessary, or your blood may be too thin.
In general, the higher the blood pressure the higher the instance of chronic diseases. Even someone who has a blood pressure of 135/80 is twice as likely to have heart disease than someone with a blood pressure of 115/75.
- Can I reduce my blood pressure without medication?
There are several natural methods for lowering blood pressure that does not require the use of prescription medicine. The most effective methods are:
- Get regular exercise ‒especially cardiovascular exercise
- Eat a diet low in cholesterol
- Limit your intake of fatty foods
- Avoid smoking
- Healthy Heart = Healthy Body
Keep in mind that you might be visually fit, but if your heart is not functioning efficiently, you can be prone to chronic disease.
Make an appointment with a qualified health professional to get your blood pressure assessed.
Be at your best: monitor your heart rate and blood pressure to live your healthiest life.