Can anxiety raise your heart rate?

Anxiety can sometimes raise your resting heart rate and mimic heart problems and heart attacks. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have irregular heart rhythms ( palpitations ), chest tightness, chest pain, sweating, or shortness of breath. These can be anxiety symptoms, but they could also be symptoms of a more serious heart problem.

Does drinking water lower your heart rate?

Short-term, drinking water can help lower your heart rate, especially if you're dehydrated. However, if you are experiencing chest pain or heart palpitations seek immediate medical care.

When should you go to the hospital for a rapid heart rate?

If you are concerned about your heart rate long-term, it's always safest to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider for proper evaluation. Seek immediate medical attention if you have a sudden increase in your heart rate accompanied by chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or lightheadedness.

What Your Resting Heart Rate Is Telling You

A normal resting heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute in an adult.

By

Kristi Van Winkle, RN

Published on January 18, 2023

Medically reviewed by

Richard N. Fogoros, MD

Your heart rate is the number of times your heart beats each minute. It varies (speeds up or slows down) to accommodate your changing need for oxygen as you participate in different activities throughout your day. Your heart rate when you are sitting still or sleeping is called your resting heart rate (RHR). Your RHR is a vital indicator of your overall health.

Resting heart rate is "a rough estimate of a person's physical fitness and health status," Dr. Gregory D. Pennock, MD, FACC, FASE, a cardiologist in Sagle, Idaho, told Health. Studies have found that a high resting heart rate may be associated with an increased risk of early death.

A person measuring heart rate on their smartwatch — d3sign / Getty Images

What Is a Normal Resting Heart Rate?

Normal heart rates vary from one person to another and increase and decrease based on the amount of oxygen your body needs at any given moment. For example, your heart rate increases to provide extra oxygen to your brain and muscles when exercising or in a stressful situation. Conversely, your heart rate will decrease when sitting quietly or sleeping because your muscles and organs do not need as much oxygen.

The American Heart Association defines a normal heart rate as 60 to 100 beats per minute (bpm) in an adult. A rate of over 100 bpm is known as tachycardia, and a rate lower than 60 bpm is known as bradycardia.

Your age plays a significant role in your resting heart rate. According to Dr. Pennock, young children have higher RHRs than adults, and most adults have RHRs between 60 and 90. However, "in some individuals, it may be completely normal for them to have RHRs either below 60 or above 90 bpm,” Dr. Pennock said.

Other factors play into your resting heart rate as well, including:

Your general health condition: Some chronic medical conditions can elevate or lower your resting heart rate. Anxiety, stress, certain medications, and hormones can also affect your resting heart rate.
Your ethnicity: People of South Asian or African descent, on average, have higher heart rates than other people groups.
Your weight: People who are overweight frequently have higher RHRs. However, underweight people also tend to have a higher heart rate.
Your activity level: People with a higher daily step count tend to have a lower RHR than more sedentary people. Dr. Pennock added, "... young, healthy adults, athletes, and individuals who exercise regularly typically have lower RHRs than those who do not."

“As a broad, general rule, it is better to have a lower RHR than an elevated RHR," said Dr. Pennock.

What Causes a High or Low Heart Rate?

In the short term, your heart rate can be affected by many things. Your RHR may higher than normal levels if you're in high temperatures and high humidity, if you're stressed or anxious, or if you take a medication that can raise or lower your heart rate. Beta-blockers, for example, are made to block adrenaline in your body, subsequently lowering your heart rate as well.

Long-term, various conditions and other factors can contribute to tachycardia or bradycardia.

Causes of Tachycardia

Long-term, the following health conditions can cause your heart rate to be abnormally high:

Atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and peripheral vascular disease
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Heart attack(s)
Heart disease
Sleep apnea
Diabetes
Strokes
Asthma
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

Causes of Bradycardia

A heart rate lower than 60 does not necessarily mean you have a medical condition. For example, an active person, especially an athlete, may have an RHR as low as 40.

Several factors can cause your RHR to be low, also known as bradycardia, including:

Heart damage from a heart attack, heart disease, or heart defects
Problems with your heart's electrical conductions system
Metabolic problems, such as low thyroid levels
Certain inflammatory diseases, such as lupus
Complications after heart surgery
Electrolyte imbalances
Certain medications
Heart infections
Sleep apnea

Always talk to a healthcare provider if your resting heart rate is much lower than usual, especially if you also feel dizzy, weak, or faint.

Measuring Your Resting Heart Rate

It is essential to know how to measure your resting heart rate so you can take it at home and keep track of its trends.

Dr. Pennock recommends you check your resting heart rate after sitting for about 3-5 minutes. Then, feel the pulse on your wrist or neck and count the beats for 1 minute. That is your resting heart rate.

Many automated blood pressure cuffs will also give you a heart rate measurement. In addition, some wearable heart rate monitors, such as watches or activity trackers, have been found to record a person's resting heart rate accurately as well.

How to Lower Your RHR

If you have a high RHR, it is likely a sign of an underlying health condition. You should visit a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

Things you can do to lower a high RHR, include:

Taking heart and other medications as prescribed by your healthcare provider
Keeping your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control
Reducing caffeinated beverages and alcohol intake
Quitting smoking and other forms of tobacco
Eating a nutritious, heart-healthy diet
Exercising regularly

Regular exercise is crucial for lowering your resting heart rate and keeping it low. The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous activity weekly for the best results.

Just as working your arm or leg muscles makes it easier to lift weights or run, working your heart muscle will make it easier for it to function. The key is to get your heart rate to target or cardio range during your exercise sessions.

Finding Your Maximum or Target Heart Rate

Your resting heart rate is the number of times your heart beats per minute while resting. Your target heart rate is the number of beats per minute you want to reach and keep your heart at during your exercise session to build heart muscle and increase your cardiovascular health.

You need to know your maximum heart rate to figure out your target HR. To determine your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220. So, a 50-year-old would have a maximum target heart rate of around 170.

During moderate-intensity exercise, you want your heart rate to reach and sustain at about 50-70% of your maximum HR. During vigorous-intensity exercise, your heart rate should be at 70-85% of your maximum HR.

Ages 20-30: Approximate maximum HR: 200-190; approximate target HR: 95-170
Ages 30-40: Approximate maximum HR: 190-180; approximate target HR: 90-162
Ages 40-50: Approximate maximum HR: 180-170; approximate target HR: 85-153
Ages 50-60: Approximate maximum HR: 170-160; approximate target HR: 80-145
Ages 60-70: Approximate maximum HR: 160-150; approximate target HR: 75-136
Ages 70-80: Approximate maximum HR: 150-140; approximate target HR: 70-128

A Quick Review

Your resting heart rate is an essential tool that gives a general overview of your health. It’s a good idea to check your resting heart rates occasionally and keep track of them.

Talk to your healthcare provider if you are concerned about your resting heart rate, especially if you are experiencing dizziness, weakness, fainting, or heart palpitations. And call 9-1-1 if you or someone near you has chest pain or difficulty breathing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can anxiety raise your heart rate?

Anxiety can sometimes raise your resting heart rate and mimic heart problems and heart attacks. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have irregular heart rhythms (palpitations), chest tightness, chest pain, sweating, or shortness of breath. These can be anxiety symptoms, but they could also be symptoms of a more serious heart problem.
Does drinking water lower your heart rate?

Short-term, drinking water can help lower your heart rate, especially if you're dehydrated. However, if you are experiencing chest pain or heart palpitations seek immediate medical care.
When should you go to the hospital for a rapid heart rate?

If you are concerned about your heart rate long-term, it's always safest to schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider for proper evaluation. Seek immediate medical attention if you have a sudden increase in your heart rate accompanied by chest pain, weakness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or lightheadedness.

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