CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Dear Cindy,
What is a resting heart rate, and how do I determine mine? -- Corinne
A resting heart rate is the number of heartbeats each minute you are at rest and completely still. The RHR can tell you how strong and efficient your heart is and, based on that number, indicate whether your heart is getting stronger or weaker as time goes by.
The lower the number, the more powerful your heart probably is, and the higher the number, the less able your heart is to efficiently pump the blood from the tip of your toes to the top of your head. Certain medications can skew these numbers, but generally your RHR is a great way to see if your cardio workouts are challenging your system enough to make a healthy difference over time.
The most accurate way to determine your RHR is to plan to take your pulse in advance because it must be taken before you rise. Once you get out of bed and move, the heart rate increases. Place a timepiece with a second hand near your bed so that when you wake, you can easily begin counting your heartbeats. You must record it for a full minute and repeat the count daily for five days. The average will be your RHR.
This is a great question, and because February is American Heart Month, I want to share some information vital to your heart health.
Care for your sweet heart
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. One in three deaths is from heart disease and/or stroke, which equates to 2,200 deaths every day.
It's also quite costly. In fact, hospitalizations because of heart disease and stroke cost the nation more than $444 billion in health-care expenses and lost productivity.
Pretty depressing statistics, considering it doesn't have to be this way. These numbers are out of control because we are out of control. Physical activity and better nutrition are life-changing choices we need to make a priority if we want to save lives and to reduce the insane financial burden heart disease is putting on our nation.
Recently, the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched Million Hearts, a simple yet powerful initiative that aims to empower everyone to make heart-healthy choices and to reduce the 1 million heart attacks and strokes in the U.S. over the next five years.
Granted, conquering the nation's biggest killer is not a simple task. After all, some risk factors are not within our control. But most are, so you actually have the power to add quality years to your life. The goal of Million Hearts is reachable and can be as easy as ABC.
The ABCs of saving a heart