5 Ways To Lower Your Resting Heart Rate That Don't Involve Running

Many of us wear some type of fitness tracker daily (whether it's a watch or a ring). One of the key metrics they display is your heart rate. When you're moving or doing something strenuous, heart rate increases. And at rest, it's typically lower. This resting heart rate (RHR) is one of the most telling markers of cardiovascular fitness, with a lower beats per minute reading indicating better health health.

Your RHR reflects how efficiently your heart pumps blood. A lower RHR generally means your heart doesn't have to work as hard to maintain steady circulation, which is a sign of good cardiovascular health. For most adults, a normal RHR falls somewhere between 60 and 100 beats per minute, though well-conditioned individuals often have rates in the 40s or 50s.

There is a lot of research that your RHR is a good predictor of longevity. A 2019 review 1found that genome-wide association studies have demonstrated a causal link between resting heart rate and longevity. This means that a lower RHR doesn't just correlate with living longer, it may actually contribute to it. And a 2024 study2 analyzing data from the Paris Prospective, Whitehall, and Framingham studies found that a 10 bpm increase in RHR over a five-year period was associated with a 20% higher risk of mortality.

While we most often associate cardio exercise with improving heart health, strength training also plays a role. Strength training builds muscle, and more muscle means your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient at delivering oxygen and nutrients throughout your body.

A 2024 study3 found that nine weeks of resistance exercise (three days per week) significantly reduced blood pressure and improved vascular function in middle-aged and older adults. Research4 also suggests that resistance training may improve parasympathetic modulation—the "rest and digest" branch of your nervous system—particularly in middle-aged adults. With time, better parasympathetic tone supports a lower resting heart rate.

Chronic stress keeps your sympathetic nervous system (the "fight or flight" response) in overdrive, which elevates heart rate5. Activating the parasympathetic nervous system through intentional relaxation practices can help bring it back down.

Techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and yoga all stimulate the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in regulating heart rate. Even a few minutes of slow, controlled breathing can shift your nervous system toward a calmer state.

Sleep is when your body (and heart) recover, and poor sleep quality can impact RHR. A 2014 study6 found that people who reported poor sleep had significantly higher resting heart rates compared to good sleepers, with sleep quality scores positively correlated with resting HR.

During deep sleep, your heart rate naturally drops7, giving your cardiovascular system a chance to rest and repair. Consistently cutting sleep short or sleeping poorly disrupts this recovery process.

When you're dehydrated, your blood volume decreases, which means your heart has to beat faster to circulate the same amount of blood. Research8 shows that dehydration significantly reduces heart rate variability (a marker of how well your nervous system adapts to stress), and maintaining proper hydration9 helps lower submaximal heart rate during activity. There's also evidence that better hydration supports stress resilience.

Beyond water, electrolytes like sodium, potassium, and magnesium support proper fluid balance and heart function. A diet rich in whole foods (vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats like omega-3s provides these nutrients naturally while supporting overall cardiovascular health.

A 2022 study10 using smartwatch data found that walking and running distance inversely correlated with RHR—meaning the more people walked, the lower their resting heart rate tended to be. Also, simply standing more frequently throughout the day was associated with lower RHR. Participants who logged 15 stand hours had a mean RHR about 10 bpm lower than those who only stood for 5 hours.