What’s YOUR resting heart rate (and why does it even matter)?
The simplest way to find your resting heart rate is to …
(Well, THE simplest way is to check your smart watch)
The second simplest way is to gently rest your middle and index fingers on the artery (the “radial artery”) on the inside of your wrist just below your thumb .
Once you feel your pulse, count how many beats occur in 15 seconds, and multiply this number by 4.
(If you’re math-challenged — Double the total number of beats you count in 15 seconds, then double that number again.)
Here’s why knowing your resting heart rate is important …
Data from the Copenhagen City Heart Study (with 20,000 subjects and started in 1975), shows you’re twice as likely to die from heart problems if your RHR is 80, compared with someone whose RHR is below 50.
And you’re three times as likely to die from heart issues if your RHR is over 90.
RHR is also linked to your risk of diabetes …
A Chinese study with over 100,000 subjects who were followed for four years showed that the risk of developing diabetes later in life was 23% higher for every 10 beats per minute increase in RHR.
So, what’s your resting heart rate?
(Seriously, let me know.)
