What You Need to Know About a Low Resting Heart Rate

As a personal trainer, I’ve seen the full spectrum of heart rates—from the “is that a hummingbird?” variety to the “are you alive?“.  Let’s talk about bradycardia, which is a fancy medical term for a resting heart rate below 60 beats per minute (bpm).  Now before you panic and throw your Fitbit in the trash, let’s dig in. Bradycardia isn’t automatically bad. In fact, many elite athletes have resting heart rates well below 60. The key difference? Their hearts are strong and efficient. Yours? Well, that depends on a few things—your age, activity level, health history, and whether you’ve been crushing workouts or crushing chips on the couch.  All jokes aside, here is a tad more info from the American Heart Association that would be a good follow up after reading the rest of this blog.

Knowledge is Power!

Knowing your resting heart rate is more important than you think. It’s like your body’s internal dashboard. When you wake up in the morning—before checking emails, Instagram, or yelling at your coffee maker—take your pulse.  A normal resting heart rate for adults is typically 60–100 bpm.  Anything under 60 is considered bradycardia. For some, that’s a badge of fitness; for others, it’s a potential warning sign of underlying conditions like heart disease, hypothyroidism, or electrolyte imbalances. Here’s a helpful breakdown from Medical News Today.

So what are the red flags? If you experience dizziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, chest pain, or even fainting spells, that’s when bradycardia goes from “cool and calm” to “call your doctor now.”  Especially for people over 40 and sedentary, these symptoms paired with a low heart rate could indicate the heart isn’t pumping enough blood to meet the body’s needs.

From a training standpoint, here’s where it gets fun—designing workouts to help improve cardiovascular efficiency.  Whether you’re 13 or 90, the right blend of aerobic conditioning, strength training, and recovery can do wonders for your heart.  Improvements in stroke volume and cardiac output from regular aerobic training lead to lower resting heart rates and faster recovery post-exercise.  As a personal trainer, this is the gold standard of any aerobic fitness/training routine.  If you train with me (in person, online, or in class), then you have heard me say it…“It is not how high you can spike your heart rate, but how quickly and efficiently it recovers.”  For older adults or those with bradycardia concerns, programs should start low and slow—then gradually build based on symptoms and progress.

Bottom line: Bradycardia isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s definitely a conversation starter—with your doctor, your trainer (hi!), and your own body. The more you know, the better you can train smart, stay safe, and keep that ticker ticking strong.  Oh, and if your heart rate monitor starts showing numbers like 48 bpm while you’re binge-watching Netflix, maybe don’t celebrate just yet. Unless you’re an Olympian. Then, by all means, carry on.

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