How to Lower Your Heart Rate Below 60 BPM

Years ago, we asked a fitness expert named Michael Matthews, author of Muscle for Life, for his take on the recommended “normal” resting heart rate range for an adult American male, which is 60 to 100 beats per minute. He was unimpressed.

“Considering that the average person is overweight, obese and sedentary, it’s probably not best to look at ‘normal’ as ‘ideal’ in this case,” Matthews replied. “Instead, a healthy range to shoot for would be closer to 50 to 80 beats per minute, and if you’re in very good shape, your resting heart rate might dip as low as 40 to 50 beats per minute.”

What’s the benefit in lowering your resting heart rate, anyway? Well, it’s a premier indication of improved cardiovascular health, increased aerobic capacity and efficient heart function. Elite athletes like Lance Armstrong have claimed everyday resting heart rate ranges below 35 bpm, while marathoners like Eliud Kipchoge eventually develop phenomenally large left ventricles because that compartment is pumping so much blood throughout the body on a consistent basis.

Basically, these athletes make it hard for the heart some of the time so it can beat as relaxed as possible most of the time. And it’s possible for you to join the ranks outside our country’s not-so-normal range, without training like an elite athlete. Here are some steps to lower your resting heart rate under 60 bpm.

Getting That Number Down

1. Cardio, cardio, cardio

This one is essential. Simply put, running, cycling or swimming on a regular basis is going to improve your cardiovascular fitness and lower your heart rate. We recommend aiming for 150 minutes a week. To optimize your time out there, up your Zone 2 training. It doesn’t have to be fast! (In fact, it shouldn’t be. Even top endurance athletes like Norway’s cross-country skiing champions will spend five hours a week moving as slowly as humanly possible.)

2. A little HIIT

But the heart still needs to be pushed to its limit once in a while. This helps develop another key cardiovascular biometric: heart rate variability, or HRV. Along with all the cardio, you’ll want to mix in HIIT workouts, which alternate between short bursts of high-intensity exercise and periods of rest or low-intensity activity. Research has shown that HIIT can help lower heart range. Just don’t make it your primary form of exercise. (I’ve known people who really drank the HIIT Kool-Aid, going five times a week, and ended up with overuse injuries.)

3. Take a breather

Stress does no favors for your heart rate. Over time, it can really take a toll on your cardiovascular health. Incorporate stress management practices, such as mindfulness meditation, yoga or deep breathing exercises, to help lower your resting heart rate. In South Korea, there’s a whole sport of dropping one’s heart rate through intentional relaxation. Finally, as always, adequate sleep is paramount and will definitely regulate your heart rate. Aim for seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night. Try this trick for staying asleep through the night.

Keeping Tabs

How will you know if your resting heart rate is headed in the right direction? To accurately monitor it, get yourself a heart rate monitor, fitness tracker or smartwatch. Ideally, you’ll want to measure your resting heart rate first thing in the morning before engaging in any physical activity. That’ll yield the most accurate results. But it’s okay to check in periodically throughout the day. I have an Apple Watch and check it when I’m reading or watching TV on the couch.

Don’t Stress

If you can get below 60, 50 or even 40 bpm, that’s spectacular. If that’s proving a struggle, don’t stress — it’s important to remember that individual factors, such as age, genetics and medical conditions, can all influence one’s heart rate. For some folks, aiming for a resting heart rate below 60 bpm may actually not be realistic or safe. Always talk with a healthcare professional before embarking on a plan to significantly lower your heart rate. They’ll help you determine a healthy target based on your unique circumstances. Tour de France shape awaits — for your heart, anyway.

Meet your guide

Tanner Garrity

Tanner Garrity is a senior editor at InsideHook, where he’s covered wellness, travel, sports and pop culture since 2017. Beyond the newsroom, he can usually be found running, skating, reading, writing fiction or playing tennis. He lives in Brooklyn.