Ways to Lower Your Resting Heart Rate

Tid bits from John Tesh. (Yes I am showing my 90 yrs old side....but I do like the odd John Tesh newsletter, especially when it has to do with health...so thought I would share to help everyone stay heart healthy!)

If you want to lower your risk of a heart attack, it’s easy. Just lower your resting heart rate! That’s how fast your heart beats when you’re sitting quietly. According to Italian researchers, having a resting heart rate above 70 beats per minute increases your risk of dying of heart disease by at least 78%. So, how can you find your resting heartbeat? Before you get out of bed in the morning, take your pulse – and count the beats for one minute. Do that for three days, and figure the average. If it’s above 70 beats per minute, here’s how to help your heart beat more slowly, courtesy of Rodale Publishing.

• Increase the intensity of your cardio. In other words, run hard, don’t just jog. Exercise increases your heart’s efficiency – reducing the number of heartbeats needed to keep your blood flowing, and varying the pace can cause a 10% increase in the volume of blood your heart pumps with each beat. So, three times a week, run for half an hour, alternating four minutes at 90% of your maximum heart rate with three minutes at 70%.
• Sleep more soundly. Australian researchers woke sleeping volunteers with loud noises multiple times during the night. Each time, their heart rates jumped 13 beats per minute. So if your neighbours, or your snoring spouse, constantly waken you, try earplugs!
• Don’t try to “hold it”. In other words, if you’ve gotta go – go. Researchers in Taiwan studied people with heart disease and found that having a full bladder stresses your entire circulatory system, and raises your heart rate by about nine beats per minute.
• Get a massage. Relaxation techniques reduce the production of the stress hormones that make your heart race when you’re scared or in danger. A study in Britain found that volunteers who received an hour of reflexology – a type of foot massage – had resting heart rates that averaged eight beats per minute slower than those who didn’t get a massage. (Well you don’t need to tell me twice!! I just need to find the funds)