High heart rate - how can I bring it down?

[greyinganddecaying]

Ok - I bought an Apple Watch in an aim to motivate me to do more walking/moving around as I have a very inactive job.

I knew my heart rate was high, but the app tells me it sits between 95-100 even at rest. There are times when I'm at work and it goes up to 120 (especially in stressful meetings).

I'm very overweight & unfit. Have a few health issues that mean that high impact exercise isn't possible.

What can I do in terms of achievable life style changes to try to bring it down? I'd like to at least give this a try before I go to the GP for medication.

60-100 is considered normal. 120 in stressful situations isn’t worrying.

If you want to improve your heart health the most important thing is brisk walking, lots of it, more fruit and veg etc. All the usual good health stuff.

60-100 is within normal for a resting heart rate
More exercise would help. Even walking is better than not moving at all

Basically try to lose weight through diet, and improve your fitness, I expect. It doesn't need to be high impact exercise- brisk walking is good. Maybe a bit of yoga too - that can help with stress as well as strength and fitness.

Thanks all - that's good to know.
I've signed up for Pilates and am going to try to go swimming at least once a week as an attempt to do something. I'm also going to up the walking.

My family gave resting heart rates of 50-60, so mine feels very high compared to them!

Swimming and pilates are great, OP. And walking is one if the best things you can do. As it gets easier, just up your speed or go uphill more!

I wonder how accurate these trackers are. I have a Fitbit versa and my resting heart rate is between 60-70 on any given day, but I do notice it going up to 125ish when I am walking quickly which seems very high. Even just doing general chores round the house it can be 90ish.

I’m not overweight and my blood pressure is in the “optimal” zone.

Try not to worry too much, as a woman (which i'm assuming you are) you can run higher than normal. Mine has gone up to 115-120 at 'rest' but when i'm stressed at work. Stress can push it up, as can caffeine, if you drink a lot of coffee, run about and are doing a million things at once which many of us are it can tend to run pretty high. Do you have any other symptoms though, that's the main thing to look out for

Regular exercise has brought my heart rate right down. Walking and swimming are both great but time consuming and it takes a long time. It you add some muscle building cross training to make a massive difference quite quickly. I started with gentle exercise classes with weights at the gym and soon built up my fitness. My heart rate is in the 60s and 70s now, it was up in the 90s/100s when I did nothing.

Eat more whole foods plant based. Lose weight. Exercise. Less drinking alcohol. This will help bring it down.

Lose weight and exercise.

Personally, I’d go to the GP first just for a check up. I was in for an ear infection with mine and mentioned my heart rate had gone up to 80 something instead of being in the 60’s like it used to be (it’s been steadily climbing since the start of the year) and he arranged an ecg to check things out.

Luckily it was all fine, but there’s a record and a time stamp now in case things change further down the line.

Admittedly I might be being over sensitive on this advice - I’ve recently had a heart attack and heart troubles in the immediate family, and I’m learning quite quickly to not mess around with anything heart related…!

Mine used to be in the 80s for years. Then I was diagnosed with coeliac and within a week of cutting out gluten it went down into the 60s and has been there ever since. Not sure what the mechanism might be, but it would be an extraordinary coincidence if the two weren't related.

Anaemia can also cause a high heart rate. (I was also anaemic when diagnosed but that wouldn't have resolved within just a week)

I've lost 6st after having a gastric sleeve and my resting heart rate has gone from around 100BPM to 75. If you're serious about losing weight that will help a lot

Just as some reassurance , my resting heart rate is about 62 but has hit 140 in stressful meetings. I do have a condition that can make it beat faster when upright (pots) though.
If you're worried I would check with your go. From my experience though the medics don't view fitbit etc readings too highly , they will be more concerned with their own readings, your weight and any symptoms .

GP