To differentiate your heart rate before and after exercising, consider the following key points:
- Before exercising (resting heart rate): Your heart rate is at a resting pace, typically between 50 and 100 beats per minute (bpm), depending on your fitness level and individual factors. This is measured when you are relaxed and not physically active
- During exercise: Your heart rate increases to supply more oxygen-rich blood to your muscles. It can rise significantly depending on the intensity of the workout, sometimes reaching near your maximum heart rate
- After exercising (heart rate recovery): Once you stop exercising, your heart rate begins to decrease as your body recovers. The speed at which it returns to your resting heart rate is called heart rate recovery (HRR). A faster drop in heart rate after exercise indicates better cardiovascular fitness and heart health
How to measure and differentiate:
- Measure your resting heart rate before exercise by sitting quietly for 1–2 minutes and counting your pulse for 15 seconds, then multiply by 4 to get bpm
- Measure your peak heart rate during exercise using a heart rate monitor or by checking your pulse at the highest point of exertion.
- Measure your heart rate immediately after stopping exercise (commonly at 1 minute post-exercise) to calculate HRR:
HRR=Peak heart rate−Heart rate after 1 minute of rest\text{HRR}=\text{Peak heart rate}-\text{Heart rate after 1 minute of rest}HRR=Peak heart rate−Heart rate after 1 minute of rest
A larger difference means quicker recovery and better fitness
In summary, your heart rate before exercise is lower and steady, while after exercise it is elevated and then gradually decreases. The rate of this decrease (heart rate recovery) is a key indicator of your cardiovascular fitness
