Measuring heart rate has been part of human life for more than two thousand years. Since 300 BC, ancient Greek doctors have used water clocks to time the pulse, setting the stage for future generations to use heart rate as a standard clinical tool.
Later, with the rise of ECGs and wearable devices, particularly the breakthrough in PPG (Photoplethysmography) in the 21st century, heart rate monitoring has truly become a part of everyday life for ordinary people.
RHR (Resting Heart Rate), as a core manifestation of heart rate quantification, has been widely adopted primarily because of its easy measurement and well-understood physiological basis.
Through this straightforward metric, users can gain a brief understanding of core health indicators such as heart function, stress recovery, and exercise effectiveness.
In addition, more systematic studies have begun to focus on the relationship between RHR and lifespan. Comparisons across species show that large mammals with slower heart rates, such as elephants and whales, typically have longer lifespans than smaller mammals with faster heart rates, such as mice.
These findings offer early insights into the association between RHR and lifespan, but the factors that determine differences in individual heart rates in humans are much more intricate.
At the end of the last century, a large-scale population study clearly confirmed for the first time that RHR is an independent predictor of mortality risk: the faster the heart rate, the higher the all-cause mortality rate.
As the quest for a longer life has become a common goal for humanity, the indispensable role of tracking RHR as an essential health indicator has been firmly established.
Disclaimer:
This content is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Individual health conditions vary. Please consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized guidance.
Quick Guide to RHR
RHR refers to the number of times the heart beats per minute while a person is at rest, awake, and not engaged in any significant activity.
RHR can be continuously monitored through smart wearable devices. To measure it manually, upon waking in the morning and before getting out of bed, use your fingers to feel the pulse on the wrist or the side of the neck, and count the beats for 60 seconds.
For most adults, the reference range for RHR is between 60 and 80 bpm. For men, this range is typically slightly lower, generally falling between 55 and 75 bpm.
Common Ways to Interpret Your RHR:
(1) Stable and relatively low trends (<80 bpm) are generally associated with good cardiovascular health, though individual variation should be considered.
(2) Short-term elevation often occurs following poor sleep, increased stress, inadequate recovery after training, alcohol consumption, or staying up late.
(3) Through consistent healthy lifestyle interventions, RHR may gradually decrease.
(4) Persistent RHR above 80 bpm may warrant attention, especially if accompanied by other symptoms or risk factors, but should be interpreted in the context of individual health status.
Why the lower RHR, possibly the longer life?
Numerous studies have confirmed this view.
A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, involving approximately 234,000 participants, found that compared with those with an RHR below 60 bpm, men with an RHR of 70 to 79 bpm had a 39% increase in all-cause mortality risk; for women with an RHR of 80 to 89 bpm, the all-cause mortality risk increased by 21% (Archangelidi et al., 2018).
Additionally, a 2024 study published in Scientific Reports involving nearly 8,000 French men found that those with an RHR > 90 bpm had an average lifespan of 70.27 years, while those with an RHR < 60 bpm had an average lifespan of 79.30 years, a difference of approximately 9 years (Gaye et al., 2024).
This indicates that maintaining a lower heart rate is more conducive to longevity.
From a physiological perspective, the total number of heartbeats may reflect, to some extent, the long-term workload on the cardiovascular system, but this relationship is influenced by multiple factors including physical fitness, metabolic health, and underlying conditions.
A lower RHR may be associated with reduced myocardial oxygen demand and improved cardiovascular efficiency over time, which is one possible explanation for its association with better health outcomes.
One underlying mechanism is that a lower RHR is often associated with higher parasympathetic (vagal) tone. This may indicate a more favorable recovery state.
However, this does not necessarily mean that the lower the RHR, the better.
In health sciences, a RHR below 60 bpm is termed sinus bradycardia. However, for asymptomatic healthy individuals, especially those who are physically active, this range is typically considered normal and requires no special intervention.
If RHR falls below 50 bpm, further evaluation may be considered if accompanied by symptoms such as dizziness, fatigue, or syncope, to rule out potential underlying causes, such as hypothyroidism or abnormalities in the cardiac conduction system.
That said, if a person consistently engages in long-term endurance exercise, such as marathons or swimming, an RHR between 40 and 50 bpm without any discomfort typically falls under athlete heart and requires no intervention.
How to improve your RHR?
(1) Regular aerobic exercise: at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, such as brisk walking, jogging, or swimming; incorporating strength training as a supplement is also beneficial.
(2) Weight management: weight loss has a significant effect on lowering heart rate, particularly in those with abdominal obesity.
(3) Stress and sleep management: ensure 7 to 8 hours of high-quality sleep while incorporating diaphragmatic breathing exercises.
(4) Dietary adjustments: For sensitive individuals, caffeine can cause a short-term increase in heart rate, although the impact is limited in long-term regular consumers. The key is to avoid intake before bedtime to prevent interference with sleep quality, which could indirectly affect RHR.
The Value of RHR for Regular Exercisers
RHR serves as a core indicator for assessing cardiovascular health and training recovery in regular exercisers.
First, whether RHR shows a gradual downward trend serves as an indirect reflection of whether exercise training has improved cardiovascular health. For regular exercisers, this is a long-term self-assessment criterion for training outcomes.
Furthermore, RHR acts as a traffic light for determining whether the body has fully recovered from exercise. A short-term elevation in RHR may indicate incomplete recovery.
Furthermore, by incorporating objective biomarkers such as RHR and HRV into a training plan, individuals can gain real-time biofeedback on physiological status and adjust training plans flexibly, thereby increasing the likelihood of preventing overtraining and ultimately achieving superior gains in athletic performance.
A 2025 study published in Scientific Reports involving endurance athletes found that, over a 40-day training intervention, athletes who used a combination of RHR, vmHRV, and subjective well-being metrics to guide their training achieved superior performance gains compared with the group guided only by vmHRV and subjective well-being (Alfonso, Clarke, and Capdevila, 2025).
The study further pointed out that while using vmHRV alone can effectively detect overtraining, combining it with RHR may provide a more comprehensive reflection of overall athlete status.
Therefore, long-term and consistent monitoring of RHR provides regular exercisers with objective data regarding cardiovascular health and training recovery status. It serves as a vital reference for optimizing outcomes and preventing overtraining.
How CUDIS Uses RHR
For RHR to be meaningful, it must be measured under true resting conditions, such as when lying awake quietly in the early morning.
CUDIS measures and records your RHR during the early morning awakening period. The most recent RHR value is displayed on your dashboard, while weekly and monthly trends, as well as average RHR, can be accessed by tapping on “RHR.”
In addition, RHR is a core component of the CUDIS Age ecosystem. Together with other key health metrics such as sleep quality, vitality index, and HRV, it is integrated into a comprehensive algorithmic model.
By analyzing the coordinated changes across these multidimensional data points, CUDIS is able to generate a highly personalized CUDIS Age that reflects your overall physiological state.
Reference list
Alfonso, C., Clarke, D. C., & Capdevila, L. (2025). Individual training prescribed by heart rate variability, heart rate and well-being scores in experienced cyclists. Scientific Reports, 15, 34023. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-13540-z
Archangelidi, O., Pujades-Rodriguez, M., Timmis, A., Jouven, X., Denaxas, S., & Hemingway, H. (2018). Clinically recorded heart rate and incidence of 12 coronary, cardiac, cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial diseases in 233,970 men and women: A linked electronic health record study. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 25(14), 1485–1495. https://doi.org/10.1177/2047487318785228
Gaye, B., Valentin, E., Xanthakis, V., Empana, J.-P., Tafflet, M., Haas, B., Thomas, F., Bean, K., Jouven, X., & others. (2024). Association between change in heart rate over years and life span in the Paris Prospective 1, the Whitehall 1, and Framingham studies. Scientific Reports, 14, 20052. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70806-8
