Your resting heart rate (RHR) – the number of times
your heart beats when you are still and at rest – is a number that you may not
think about very often. However, what most people do not know is that your RHR
is one of the most important health metrics that you should be keeping an eye
on. Not only is RHR a key indicator of your fitness level and overall heart
health, it can also alert you of potential health issues such as illness, high
stress levels, sleep deprivation, dehydration, overtraining, and underlying
medical conditions.
As we celebrate World Heart Day this September 29, Fitbit,
the pioneer of 24/7 wrist-based heart rate tracking, aims to help you
understand your heart better, so that you can know what works for you, and your
own health and fitness. Here are 4 things that your RHR can tell you[1]:
1.You’re not active
enough.
A normal resting heart rate for the average adult is 60 to 100 beats per
minute (bpm) or 40 to 60 bpm for highly conditioned athletes. If you’re
inactive most of the day, your RHR likely approaches or exceeds the top end of
this range. This may be because your heart is less efficient. Based on
recommendations from the World Health Organization, you need to do at least 150
minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of high-intensity activity
each week. Studies have shown that in
To make
sure you’re getting enough heart pumping minutes, Fitbit recently introduced Active
Zone Minutes (AZM) with its Charge family fitness tracker – Charge 4.
AZM is an algorithm that uses Fitbit’s 24/7 PurePulse heart rate tracking to
calculate “Active Zone”, or target heart rates during exercise, personalized to
you, based on your RHR and age. With AZM, you’ll know if you’re getting your
heart pumping the right way.
2.You’re dehydrated or
not getting enough nutrients.
Due to hot and humid weather in
To lower your RHR, the
classic recommendation is to drink 8 glasses of 8 fluid ounces of water per
day. Health experts recommend a significantly higher daily benchmark, with 2.7
liters for women and 3.7 liters for men, which translates to 11 to 15 cups of
water4. Therefore, the trick is to think of 8 classes of water as
the baseline, then keep sipping. Fitbit devices allow you to track your water
intake to make sure you meet your daily water goal.
3.You’re
sleep-deprived.
Chronic sleep deprivation may greatly affect one’s heart health, as studies
have shown that people who do not get enough sleep are at higher risk for
cardiovascular disease (CVD) or coronary heart disease. 5 To
help lower your RHR, aim for at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
Fitbit with its Versa family smartwatch, Versa
2 has taken the sleep tracking one notch higher with
industry-leading sleep tracking and insights to help you
improve your sleep as an important component of overall health. The multi-day
battery life enables Fitbit devices to provide advanced sleep tracking with
Sleep Stages to measure deep, light, and REM sleep. Users can also see their
Sleep Score each morning to help gauge their sleep quality.
4.You’re Too Stressed.
Prolonged mental and
emotional stress can also cause your resting heart rate to creep up over time.
Stress is a global issue, with one in three people experiencing high stress
levels, as well as psychological and physiological symptoms. Over time, the physical
strain from stress can contribute to a variety of health problems if unmanaged,
like an increased risk for high blood pressure and heart disease, obesity,
diabetes, and mental health disorders like anxiety or depression. As we live
through one of the most stressful times in history, we need all the support we
can get to manage our stress.
Helping people
understand and manage their heart health has always been a priority for Fitbit.
It is a space pioneered by Fitbit offering the first 24/7 wrist-based heart
rate tracking in 2014. Fitbit
Inspire HR one of the Fitbit’s most affordable and stylish
24/7 heart rate tracking device can help you better understand how your heart
rate, and activity impacting your overall health. The devices come packed with
all-day automatic activity, exercise and Sleep Stages tracking, and Relax
guided breathing sessions.
Take a holistic approach
to heart health with Fitbit
This World Heart Day, it’s
time to listen to your heart and understand what your body needs. Fitbit aims
to be your 24/7 companion that can guide you to better health, by keeping you
informed and empowered through data-driven results. Following the emergence of
COVID-19, Fitbit announced a 90-day free trial of Fitbit Premium – its paid
membership service that gives you guidance to help you move more, get proper
nutrition, sleep better and, and manage stress – for new users, even without a
Fitbit device, as people around the world sought more insight on how to better
manage their holistic health and wellness from home.
Fitbit Premium is available
to anyone with or without a Fitbit device to try. If you have yet to try the
service, Fitbit is offering a free 90-day trial for new Premium users. Fitbit
Premium is priced at INR 819 per month or INR 6,999 per year
NEW DELHI/INDIA
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