It turns out that blood pressure and your resting heart rate both often change over time ― average scores for both differ by age.
The same goes for your physical fitness. There’s an “ideal” amount of push-ups each age group should be able to do; the amount of time you can stand on one leg by age seems to be a surprisingly good metric of your brain health too.
So it should come as no surprise that the same rules apply to what’s known as your “heart rate recovery,” or how long it takes your heart rate to get back to normal after a workout.
Speaking to Health Central, Dr Lindsay Bottoms, head of the Centre for Research in Psychology and Sport Sciences at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “Heart rate recovery is controlled by our autonomic nervous system, which can reflect the health of a person.
“The quicker your heart rate returns to baseline after exercise can reflect how good your cardiovascular health is.”
How do you measure heart rate recovery?
Your heart rate recovery is found by calculating your heart rate in beats per minute (BPM) right after the toughest part of your workout (your peak heart rate) minus your heart rate after 60 seconds of rest.
There’s even a formula for the calculation (peak HR – 60-second post-exercise HR = HRR).
Some smartwatches will track this for you, but you can also find your peak heart rate on some gym machines.
You’ll be able to work our your post-recovery heart rate either by using tech or by measuring it the old-fashioned way.
You’re ideally looking for a big difference between your peak heart rate and your heart rate after a minute of rest.
That indicates your heart is very good at getting back to normal after intense exercise, showing it’s likely pretty strong.
Bear in mind, Dr Bottoms says, that “Different intensities of exercise will cause your heart rate recovery to be different.”
What’s a good heart rate recovery by age?
Per Health Central, good heart rate recovery by age (including your ideal maximum heart rate, which shows a good amount of beats per minute you should reach when trying your hardest) is:
- Age 20 to 30: Maximum heart rate 195; target heart rate recovery 22
- Age 30 to 39: Maximum heart rate 185; target heart rate recovery 22
- Age 40 to 49: Maximum heart rate 175; target heart rate recovery 22
- Age 50 to 59: Maximum heart rate 165; target heart rate recovery 21
- Age 60 to 69: Maximum heart rate 155; target heart rate recovery 18
- Age 70 to 79: Maximum heart rate 145; target heart rate recovery 14.
Cleveland Clinic adds that in general, a heart recovery rate over 18 is pretty good going.
If you’re struggling to reach that marker and don’t have any other heart issues, a 2022 study found that a mere 75 minutes of aerobic exercise per week can help to boost your heart recovery rate.
“Essentially you want to keep aerobically fit and active to improve your health and reduce risk of disease,” Dr Bottoms told Health Central.
“Over time, if your heart rate recovery number reduces, it can show that you are improving fitness.”
