A clear picture of how fit you truly are doesn’t just come from how fast you run or how heavy you lift – your heart offers some of the most reliable clues. By tracking a few simple yet powerful heart parameters and working to improve them over time, you can better understand your overall fitness and stay healthier in the long run.
Variations in your heart rate can determine how fit you really are!(Unsplash)
Fitness trainer Raj Ganpath – founder of the Slow Burn Method, co-founder and head coach at Quad Fitness, and author of Simple, Not Easy – has outlined four key heart metrics you should monitor to understand how fit you truly are. In an Instagram video posted on 19 November, the fitness trainer breaks down each metric, how to measure them, and what your numbers actually reveal about your fitness.
Maximum heart rate
According to Raj, your maximum heart rate (MHR) is the highest speed at which your heart can safely beat while keeping your cardiovascular system stable. Your MHR provides a benchmark for how hard you can safely push your body, depending on your age and fitness level.
He states that there are two ways to calculate this – “The first one is a simple but fairly inaccurate way to calculate it. You simply have to subtract your age from the number 220. So, if you’re 30 years old, your MHR is 220 minus 30 which is 190. The second way, the more accurate way, is by using something called the Tanaka formula. And here’s how you do it. You multiply your age with the number 0.7. And whatever answer you get, you subtract that from the number 208.”
Resting heart rate
RHR, or resting heart rate, is the number of times your heart beats per minute while you’re completely at rest. RHR can be tracked over time to make sure it remains low or gradually shifts toward the ideal range.
According to the fitness coach, a healthy range is typically between 55 and 80, though athletes or highly active individuals may have readings in the 40s. He explains, “A healthy strong heart does not have to beat too many times. It is strong enough to beat a few times a minute and still get the job done. But if you find that your resting heart rate is well above 80, you most definitely need to consider doing more optimal intensity aerobic exercise and reduce it over a period of time.”
Heart rate recovery
Raj explains that HRR or heart rate recovery determines how resilient your heart is and how well it can recover from stress. If you tend to lose your breath easily, checking your HRR is essential. Put simply, it’s one of the strongest indicators of how fit you are.
He describes the procedure to calculate HRR – “Do something strenuous. Maybe exercise, go for a run, climb stairs. You decide what you want to do. When your heart rate is at a certain high level, note down that number. Then for the next 60 seconds, do nothing. Rest. Let your heart rate drop. At the end of 60 seconds, note down your heart rate. What is the difference between these two numbers? You want this number to be at least 18 beats per minute. If it is not even 18 beats per minute, you should most definitely invest time in doing low intensity aerobic activity, and you should also talk to a doctor.”
Heart rate variability
The fitness trainer notes that heart rate variability (HRV) can’t be measured manually by checking your pulse, but a smartwatch can track it accurately. HRV measures the variation in time between each heartbeat.
Raj explains, “Let’s say your heart rate is 60 beats per minute. That means your heart is beating 60 times in 60 seconds. But it does not mean that your heart is beating once every second. Some heartbeats might be 0.9 seconds long while some others might be 1.05 seconds long. This difference between heartbeats is what HRV calculates. And as a general rule, the higher the HRV, the better because the higher the variation, the more resilient your heart is and the quicker it can recover from stress.”
He adds that HRV doesn’t have a standard range yet because measurement methods vary, so different smartwatches will show different values. Raj recommends using your number as a reference and aiming to improve it over time. If your HRV dips unusually low, it signals systemic stress – poor sleep, recovery issues, illness, or life stress. On those days, he advises keeping your training and overall load lighter.
What to keep in mind
Raj notes that it’s crucial not to compare your metrics with anyone else’s. What matters is how your current numbers stack up against your own past data – and how you keep improving them over time. Fitness isn’t about competition; it’s about consistent personal progress.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.