Heart rate recovery after exercise.

[Jetcat]

hi guys and girls. I have had minor hand surgery 2 weeks ago and because I can’t do anything manual Iv been walking more than I usually do just to pass the time, but Iv noticed my heart rate takes a while to come down.!! Iv been doing a 3 mile brisk walk around a race track and my heart rate hits 105 maximum and that’s when going up an uphill stretch, maybe quarter of a mile. But according to my Fitbit and also manual pulse check its taking over ten minutes + to get somewhere where I’m happy with but still in 80’s.!! Iv been on doctor google and it says it should come down relatively fast per minute.!!! Just wondering if anyone else had the same thing happening when exercising.?

[Happyrosie]

dr Google has a lot to answer for!

Do you have a blood pressure machine? If you do, take your pressures for a week or so (resting for ten minutes before you do) and write down the result, and if elevated make an appointment with your doc. Have a look at Blood Pressure UK, the specialist charity website.

Or maybe your blood pressure isn’t up? I’m not a medic, but this is the first thing I thought of. Are you otherwise fit and well? Not overweight non-smoker? Medical and family history?

[Lowerfield_no_more]

Dr Google will also no doubt have advised you that a slower than expected recovery is a sign of heart disease which presumably is one of the reasons you are on here. That aside, what is your general level of fitness, are your 3 mile brisk walks a significant increase in your normal daily level of activity. My suggestion is to try and keep up doing your walks or do something similar for another month or so and monitor your recovery rate to see if it improves, and my guess is it will.

[Jetcat in reply to Lowerfield_no_more]

Thankyou lowerfield. I will keep at it and monitor.👍

[Thesnowman51]

Are you doing a cool-down after your walk? If you say it is brisk walking then you should do a 15 minute cool down walk at the end with a slow walk. That will gradually drop your bpm down.

[Jetcat in reply to Thesnowman51]

Thankyou snowman. I didn’t realise that.👍

[Jetcat in reply to Thesnowman51]

Hi snowman. Iv been on my walk this afternoon and did what you suggested with the 15 minute cool down walk and things went better. Thankyou for the advice.👍

[Thesnowman51 in reply to Jetcat]

That’s great, glad it worked

[Jetcat in reply to Thesnowman51]

Thanks a lot.👍

[DWizza]

Good replies above 👍🏻. What’s you’re fitness level , how long have you been training/rehab? Have you used progressive overload or jumped up by more than 15% distance /effort. Adaptation comes with consistency and gradual increases. Well done on finding a way to exercise, sounds like it’s not your normal thing though 👍🏻

[Jetcat in reply to DWizza]

You’re quite rite wizza, I’m usually at work 6 days a week so a good proper walk isn’t a regular thing for me. Iv recently had hand surgery and have 6 weeks off work so rather than sit around I thought I’d do a daily walk around the local race track which is about two and a half miles. It takes me around 25 to 30 minute’s. half is flat and half is slightly uphill. No AFIB or ectopics in sight either.👍

[DWizza in reply to Jetcat]

Keep on keeping on 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻

[Jetcat in reply to DWizza]

Thanks Wizza.will do 👍

[Segovia123]

When you get to max HR, it comes down very quick, when you get into the lower regions the slowing down takes longer.

[Jetcat in reply to Segovia123]

Thanks segovia, that explains it.? Iv just checked my Fitbit after my daily walk 3.9 kilometres a max heart rate 102 average 92 and it’s telling me I’m basically at the bottom of the table for effort!!!!

[Segovia123]

There is a HRR metric you can calculate which is your Max HR less your HR after 2 minutes of rest, this gives an idea how well the heart is working. If you did MAX HR and after two minutes it was only 10% reduction from your max then there is a problem with heart fitness. You can't do the same calculation when your HR is in the lower ranges as the slowing down takes longer and just standing up after sitting down can bump it up again

[Jetcat in reply to Segovia123]

Thankyou Sergiovia. I’ll do some maths tomorrow 👍