Resting heart rate is the number of heartbeats per minute measured when you are calm, relaxed, and have not been physically active for at least five minutes. For most adults, a normal resting heart rate falls between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm), though well-trained endurance athletes may have an RHR as low as 40 bpm. It is one of the simplest yet most informative indicators of cardiovascular health.
A lower resting heart rate typically reflects a strong, efficient heart that can pump more blood per beat, reducing the total number of beats needed per minute. Over time, aerobic exercise strengthens the heart muscle and increases stroke volume, which naturally lowers RHR. Conversely, a chronically elevated RHR has been associated with higher risks of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and all-cause mortality.
Several factors can temporarily raise your resting heart rate, including poor sleep, dehydration, stress, caffeine, alcohol, illness, and overtraining. Tracking day-to-day fluctuations can reveal patterns — for instance, a sudden spike in RHR might signal that your body is fighting off an infection or that you need an extra rest day.
The best time to measure RHR is first thing in the morning before getting out of bed. Wearable devices integrated with Vora continuously monitor heart rate and can extract an accurate overnight resting heart rate, providing trend data over weeks and months. Combined with HRV and sleep metrics, your resting heart rate becomes a key piece of Vora's readiness and recovery assessment.